In the Company of Thorin Oakensheild
by PeterWolf
Summary: Lyda Baggins has a rare gift, her voice. A sound so hypnotic Gandalf suspects not even a Dragon could resist. But will the King Under the Mountain be the first she cannot touch? Or will Thorin too fall for the brave and beautiful red-haired half-ling
1. Chapter 1

Thorin knocked on the door and shuffled his cloak. Hopeful that the small mark on the right hand side of the door was indeed the sign Gandalf had promised, and not a coincidental scratch.

From inside the quaint house under the hill he heard the loud roar of dwarf laugher quieten and a nervous silence ensue. Thorin shuffled his cloak again and looked behind him out in to the Shire which stretched out for miles and miles. The green rolling hills like calm waves. Many of them with homes built under them, small circles of warm yellow light dotted between the green. Nothing but the sound of night crickets. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. It was so quiet and peaceful. Even he with his longing for halls of stone could appreciate the beauty of it.

Finally the door opened with a loud creek, Gandalf stooped down and smiled at him.

"Gandalf!" Thorin nodded a greeting, only the tinniest trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find! I lost my way, twice!"

He strode into the hallway and pulled his cloak off firmly, a small flutter of dust circled him as he did.

Gandalf took the cloak from him and motioned to a figure behind him.

"Thorin, may I introduce Lyda Baggins, our burglar!"

Thorin turned, surprised to see a hobbit woman behind him, almost a head shorter than him. Small slanted warm brown eyes, her short dark curly red hair the colour of autumn leaves lose and wild around her head. The candle behind her on the wall lit up the tightly wound curls and cast a slight yellow glow around her.

He looked up at Gandalf, a stony expression on his face that clearly showed his disapproval, though he did not say it. He had been promised a burglar. The hobbit before him looked as thou she had never left the hill let alone traveled further than the confines of the shire. She had no wrinkles on her face apart from the smile lines around her eyes, her skin rosy and full.

"Tell me Mistress Baggins, what is your weapon of choice? Sword or Ax, what is your weapon of choice?"

Lyday looked back at him, an inquisitive look in her eyes that reminded him of a young wolf pup. Her head tilted slightly to the side she looked him up and down for a moment before she replied. Thorin with the distinct impression that he just just been read like an open book.

"It depends". She replied. Her voice shocked him a little. With her round face and kindly features he had expected a sickly sweet voice, like that of a child's. Her tone could not be further than that. A deep feminine voice which resonated in her chest slightly.

"It depends on what?"

"On what I have to hand. If I am prepared, my dagger, if not, my voice".

Thorin raised an eyebrow. "Where we're going Misstress Baggins you can't negotiate your way out of a problem. Orcs don't talk much before they attack".

Lyda smiled a little, her full lips pursed together, a tiny confident flicker in her eyes. "They only have to listen".

"Why don't we all sit down?!" Gandalf quickly suggested. "We can eat and then discuss business!"

Thorin nodded, a firm decided look on his face. Lyda stepped back to let him through the doorway into the now packed dining room. His heavy boots clicked on the tiles, Lyda able to smell the distinct aroma of pine needles and cold night air on other dwarves crowded around the small table a little more to allow him to sit down. A few happy smiles on the face of the dwarves, especially Fili and Kili. Thorin smiled back at them. Or rather did his best impression of a smile, a light in his eyes at the sight of his nephews but his lips only curled slightly at the corners.

Lyda stood nearby under the doorway arch, and watched him. Intrested by the stong stoic dwarf. He was not loud or crude like the others. Quite the opposite. He carried himself with his head held high, long firm steps which demanded he be noticed. His arms folded together as soon as he had sat down at the table. Long black hair laced with a few strands of silver. Piercingly blue eyes that reminded her of ice.

His hands large, strong, the palms and figertips calloused, used to hard work. Despite that his mannerisims were not clumsy. He ate quietly. His head slightly stooped.

Gandalf looked over at her and motioned at her to sit next to Thorin, Lyda pulled a stool from the hallway and sat down at the table. Everyone with their eyes either on her or Thorin. Fili's eyes on her, he winked at her before he turned his attention back to his uncle. Nobody spoke for a few minutes as Thorin ate in silence. Lyda able to tell that even Gandalf was slightly nervous.

She tapped her bare feet against the sides of her chair.

When Gandalf had told her of his wish for her to travel with them she could not have been more excited. Facinated by the world outside the Shire. Tales of dragons and goblins from her childhood danced in her mind. Deliriously excited, though she did her best not to show it.

"You are aware of were we are traveling?" Thorin asked.

"Yes!" Lyda nodded, her curls bounced around her head slightly as she did. "Erebor".

"And you are aware of what lives there?" He turned to look at her, both blue eyes fixed on hers.

"By now probably an army of bats!" Lyda chucked, her smile dropped as she saw Thorin was not impressed by her comment. "A dragon! Gandalf told me there was a dragon" she stuttered.

"Have you ever seen a dragon?"

For a moment Lyda considered making a joke about her uncle Bilbo's reaction to his favourite cheese being missing from the larder but decided against it.

"No, I have not".

"What mades you think that you can steal from one then?"

Lyda looked over at Gandalf who nodded, reached into his robes and pulled out a small basket. He shook it roughy and an angry hiss emerged from inside it.

"Lyda has a rare gift that I have seen only twice in my entire life. If you are ever to reclaim Erebor I'll wager that Lyda's singular gift will help!"

Everyone leant back quickly from the table as Gandalf tossed the angry viper into the middle of the table. Ori even attempted to hide under the table for a moment, though the snakes eyes were not fixed on him. It turned it's head towards the end of the table, both beady eyes fixed on Thorin.

Thorin did not move, his hand so close to the viper he could feel the heat from it's long body. His eyes flitted over to Gandalf who just smiled a knowing smile.

"Watch!" The wizard mumbled.

Calmly Lyda closed her eyes and began to hum.

Like a hook from a fishing rod had caught on it's head the snakes sight snapped on her. Both eyes widened and the hissing stopped. Slowly Lyda got to her feet and began to retreat back into the hall. Without a seconds thought the snake followed her, captivated by the low hum which shuddered from her chest. A deep lull which even the dwarves could not help but find hypnotic.

Thorin stared at her, shocked as she walked backwards into the hallway and opened the front door to usher the snake out before she closed the door behind her and stopped singing. With her back against the door, she smiled nervously back at them, her head bowed slightly. She held her hands behind her back and knotted her fingers together.

Gandalf broke the silence. "Lyda is a Syrn, any creature, providing it can hear, can hear is entrance by her".

"Any creature?" Thorin repeated, his eyes wide and hopeful. He stood up and looked at Lyda. "What is the largest creature you have controlled?"

"A wolf". Lyda lied, though she hid the lie well. Her head held high. Gandalf raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew the largest creature she had tamed was a cow but he also knew better than to reveal that fact to Thorin.

The hopeful look on Thorin's face dropped. "A dragon is much larger than a wolf".

An irritated look flashed across Lyda's face and she uncurled her hands from behind her back.

"Gandalf, this is folly! Half-lings are not the folk for adventures, she will only be a burden!"

Before Gandalf could argue Lyda's interrupted.

"If I can entrance you will you let be come?!"

"What?"

Lyda repeated herself and stepped forward. From the table Dwalin loudly scoffed.

"Thorin Oakensheild is no snake lassie! You could not entrance him any more than you could entrance me!"

"Then step forward!" Lyda dared him, her sweet face arched into an annoyed scowl. She was not used to having people doubt her gift, let alone insinuate that she was effectively useless.

Laughing to himself Dwalin pushed his way around the table and stood before her, Thorin quietly watched from the corner of the room. Both arms crossed. He shook his head, sure of how Lyda's dare would play out.

"You can't entrance me lassie, I'm no-"

Lyda closed her eyes and a sharp tone rang out, the note so high it Gandalf felt the small glass in his hands shudder a little. Ready to crack should Lyda sing so much as a semitone higher.

Dwalin rocked back for a moment, as though struck by the sound and Lyda instantly dropped her voice to a low rumbling lull. Everyone stared transfixed. Thorin especially. All except Gandalf who sipped at the remaining port in his glass. A confident little smirk at the corner of his lips.

Lyda raised her head slowly and stepped back, as she did the soft lull from her mouth became more of a hum. Like the sound of thousandls of bee's wings flutterering together furiously in quick sucession.

Dwalin did not resist. He could not. Like a small child he followed her across the hallway and then back to the table before she stopped singing. His pupils so dialated his iris just became a small squeezed circle around them.

As soon as she stopped singing Dwalin's face twisted into a furous scowl. Lyda stepped back, slightly frightened by the look on the tall dwarfs face.

"Witchcraft!" He snapped and pushed his way back around the table.

"Are you convinced?" Gandalf asked Thorin.

Slowly Thorin got to his feet and stood before Lyda. Deeply curious as how such a small dainty little creature had lead his greatest fighter around the hall like a lamb.

"Convince me!" Thorin said finally and lowered his arms to his sides. He mentally braced himself for the sound her voice.

Lyda did not make a sound for several seconds, instead she looked a him, her large brown eyes found his and she held his gaze. Both her eybrows pressed together in a concerned slant and Thorin felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He felt exposed.

This time she did not close her eyes.

Like an invisible wave washing over him Thorin felt himself enveloped in a what he could only describe to himself as comforting wave of warmth, or the safe embrace of his mothers arms as a child. He opened his mouth but no sound came from it. His own blue eyes fixed on Lyda's. She did not move, neither of them did, fixed like stone statues in the hallway. Motionless except for Lyda's head which swung gently from side to side as she sang. Slowly she closed her eyes and the sound buried him under a rush of memories.

Suddenly he was no longer in Bag End. He was in Erebor, the blue glow of the mountain reflected of the torches against the wall. The air hot from the furnaces, the loud constant clang metal against stone. The smell, even the smell rushed back. Cold stone, pine and mead.

Thorin felt his shoulders relax, the mental burden he had carried with him for so many years lifted for a few brief seconds.

With a jolt he was ripped from the dream and he opened his eyes, Lyda in front of him. Her eyes closed, her lips still slightly open.

Thorin's brow tightened into a angry glare. Lyda stepped back, sure he was angry at her.

"Balin has the contract!" Thorin snapped. "Know that I cannot guarantee your safety!"

Lyda nodded, the motion more of a small bow. She smiled relieved. "Understood!"


	2. Chapter 2

Lyda did not want to admit it but she felt deeply uncomfortable, part of her even wanted to turn around when nobody was looking and march back to bag end and the comforts of home. The last few days had been miserable in every possible way. She was wet, cold, tired, and most importantly, she was worst of it though was the distrust, neither of the dwarves has spoken to her since they had left the shire except for when absoloutely necessary. A node here or a quick "here's your rations". Thorin was the only one who had looked at her more than three time over the past few days apart from Gandalf. But now both Throrin and Gandalf were arguing. What about she could not hear, Thorin looked up at Gandalf through his eyebrows in the ruined farmhouse not far from them, a scowl on his face.

Furious Gandalf stormed away from Thorin and past them towards his horse.

"Where are you going?" Lyda blurted out.  
>"Away from here!" Gandalf shouted back. Lyda shocked to hear him speak so gruffly to her. She folded her hands together nervously and watched him storm off into the forest behind them.<p>

"Lydia, help Balin with the food. We're hungry!" Thorin snapped over at her.

For a moment his eyes caught hers and her breath caught in her throat. She could not help but be impressed by him. With nobody to talk to for the last few days she had found herself studying each of the dwarves, and none of them captured her attention as much as Thorin. Everything about the dwarf facinated her. His deep rumbling voice, the way he carried himself, but most of all his eyes. A look of stoic sadness on his face when he thought that nobody was watching him.  
>"Lyda nodded and walked over to Balin who managed a fake smile and passed her the pot to fill up with water. She looked around her and walked towards the small stream which ran not that far from the destroyed farm house. She winced as the tripped over one of the manny boulders which littered the surrounding house, stumbling to her knees. Grumbling she picked herself and dusted the mud of her trouser knees. The tiniest trace of a tear in the material over her right knee.<p>

"I hope I can mend that!" She grumbled to herself.  
>Secretly she felt a little irritated at herself. If she had know that they journey would be so uncomfortable she would have prepared for it more. Or even not accepted Gandalf offer to accompany them. Not to mention she was running out of her pipeweed. which to her was the end of all civilized society.<br>Quietly she reached over the edge of the riverside and dipped the cooking pot into the water before before returning to the group. She struggled a little to hold the large pot up as she walked back, the large steep pot so much heavier with the water inside. It sloshed around as she walked and Lyda growled loudly as some of it wet her shirt and waistcoat.

"Great!" She grumbled to herself. "Now I'm wet too!"

From the ruined farmhouse Thorin shook his head and watched her, slight amused but more irritated. Though she had not openly complained he could see that the hobbit was completely out of her element. Clearly used to a more comfortable lifestyle. Her wild curly red hair a pretty good indicator of just how frazzled she really felt. At Bag End her hair had been finely combed, loose but clean. Over the past days her hair had gradually become increasingly knotted, the fierce shine slightly matted from night sleeping rough. A few times he had seen her attempt to comb it with her small wooden comb but give up after a few minutes. The knots far too twisted for her to undo with her small comb. She was so clearly lonely but he did not blame the others for their treatment of her.

Ever since she had sang to him he had been unable to shake the deep sadness inside him, a lid he had kept so firmly fixed over the reservoir of pain he carried with him everywhere. She had opened that, and as much as he knew he shouldn't blame her he couldn't help but feel angry at the emotions she had stirred.

As the food cooked Thorin sat down on the rocks not far from the others and slowly sharpened his sword, the air around them increasingnly colder, the sun slowly setting till the stars were visible. Lyda pulled her knees to her chest as she drank her soup, her toes curled up, cold. Wishing for the hundredth time that she had brought a larger coat with her. Or better still, a cloak.

Suddenly from the forest they all heard a loud shout and all the dwarves jumped to their feet. Another loud roar which shook the very ground echoes from the forest before the distinct sound of Fili and Kili shouting followed. Instantly all the dwarves drew their respective weapons and rushed towards the forest. Lyda moved to follow them but before she could get to her feet Thorin's hand was on her shoulder and pushed her roughly to the ground.

"Stay here!" He ordered gruffly. "You'll only get in the way!"

Like a crumpled leaf Lyda sat quietly in the mud, her knees pulled so tightly agains her chest that she looked like a round little ball with a tuft of curly red hair on top. Both her warm brown eyes wide open, frightened. She whimpered as another loud roar was heard from the forest, the clash of swords and axes almost as loud as the dwarves shouting. She covered her mouth with her hands and did her best not to cry, ashamed at how terrified she felt. Then, as if a silent command had been given everything went silent.

Lyda got her her feet and looked out into the forest, the silence so much more terrifying than the noise. Slowly she made her way towards where she had heard the roars, her heart pounded in her chest. Terrified. To her right she heard several loud howls and ran as silently as she could towards it. Her little hobbit feet barely making a sound despite the dried leaves and twigs which littered the the warm glow of a fire not far from her Lyda crouched down and crawled forward, for a few second completely forgetting that she would ruin the copper buttons on her waistcoat.

But once she saw why the dwarves had gone silence any thought of ruined copper buttons quickly disappeared. Her heard dropped as she saw two large trolls hoist several of the dwarves over their low fire, another loud howl rang from the trussed up dwarves as they were slowly turned over the flames. The heat barely more than a warm breeze, but a fresh pile of dry logs near the fireplace. Lyda felt her blood run cold as the third troll reached for the logs and tossed several of them onto the red coals. The loud crackle of igniting dry wood.

"Let's get a move on!" One of the trolls bellowed. "Dawns not far away! I don't fancy being turned to stone!"

Lyda turned and looked at the sky above her, the purple red glow of the morning approaching. Her heart leapt into her mouth and without thinking she burst into the clearing. Thorin stopped struggling as he saw the small hobbit run past him, the flash of her red hair in the fireplace, she stopped a few feet away from the trolls and opened her mouth to sing.

Again a low rolling hum spread from her like a wave. Thorin stared at her as she rocked slowly from side to side on her balls of her feet, lulling the three monsterous beasts around her into a stupor.

"I don't believe it!" Kili whispered beside him, all eyes on the small little hobbit and the three great trolls.

Slowly Lyda retreated, her eyes wide open, she took several slow steps back to the edge of the clearing, both hands extended, her hands visibly shaking. With a loud slow moan the trolls followed her, a large gormless grin on their faces. Circling around them Lyda stopped as soon at her back was to the fire and quickly kicked as much dirt onto the fire as she could. The heat from it gradually increasing as the flames took hold of the fresh logs. Slowly the fire began to loose it's heat, the mud stifling the flames. Lyda smiled and kept on singing even as she kicked the mud behind her onto the fire. The dwarves which had been strung up above her whispering words of encouragement.

"Go on lassie!"  
>"Keep singing you beauty!"<p>

As she accidently kicked a small stone into the fire one of the burning red hot coals rolled from the fireplace and hit her ankle. With a loud yelp of shock Lyda jumped away from the fire place, her voice wavering for just a few seconds. It was enough for the trolls to be dropped from their trance. With a loud roar all three of the trolls rushed towards her.

Thorin bellowed loudly as they closed around Lyda, she crouched down, terrified, her hands over her head. A large hand closed around her and hoisted her above the ground.

"This little ferret one of yours?" The troll who held her yelled. Lyda gasped loudly as the trolls fingers clenched around her small body, only her arms, shoulders and head exposed. She opened her mouth to try and sing but found she could not manage it. Here whole body shaking too much from fear and unable to breath

"Put her down!" Thorin bellowed as loudly as he could. Shaking with anger he wrestled again with the ropes around his wrist and feet, but they held fast.

"Bert! Bert look!" One of the trolls yelled.

Lyda breathed a small sigh of relief as she saw the fast approaching sunrise, it's light already on the cliff face behind them. Three large boulders the only thing blocking the light from falling on the trolls. Terrified the trolls scrambled around to look for something to shield them from the approaching light.

"Bert! Bert! The light!"

Angry the troll holding Lyda turned to look at her, an ugly scowl on it's face.

"You're coming with us!" It screamed and clenched down even harder.

Lyda screamed in pain, as her lungs and ribs were crushed under the trolls fingertips. The light only just coming over the edge of the boulders. With a horrible sound the troll's skin twisted and crackled in the sunlight, their grey skin turned to stone within seconds. All the dwarves screamed and shouted as the trolls were turned to stone, Lyda trapped in the trolls enormous hands. Several pained breaths from her mouth, she panicked and tried desperately to breath. Terrified and in pain. Her lungs crushed so much in the trolls hand she could not breath.

Thorin kicked and pulled at his bonds as hard as he could but could not escape them. The sack which covered him and all the other dwarves making it impossible to move. /spanHe looked back up at Lyda as her fingers clawed in a panic at the stone troll's fingers around her, the horrible sound of fingernails against stone.

"Lyda! Lyda try to breath! We're coming! Just breath!"

Lyda did not even hear him, her hearing deafened from the sound of blood pounding past her ears. She tried one last time to take a deep breath, a horrible whease sound rasped past her lips. Slowly her shoulders dropped, the last little piece of air gone, and her head rolled back.


	3. Chapter 3

Lyda felt the pain before she realised anything else, all her ribs and her hips so tender they felt as though they had been pummelled to a pulp, every muscle sore and throbbing.

"Lyda? Lyda! Open your eyes!" A voice shouted at her, her ears buzzing so much it felt as though the voice was very far away.

With a loud gasp Lyda sat up, her lips tingling strangely as the air rushed into her lungs and she breathed a lough sigh of relief.

"It's alright! The trolls are dead!" Gandalf reassured her.

Lyda stared around her, the huddled faces of all the dwarves staring down at her, all of them obviously concerned. All of them except Thorin who stood a little further back from all of them, an angry scowl on his face.

"What where you thinking! You nearly got yourself killed!" He snapped.

Lyda did not respond, her eyes dazed and her thoughts muddled. She tried to sit up, gasping as she felt her ribs scream at her not to move. Her arms snapped around her torso and she rocked back and forth for a moment, the pain enough dull her thoughts.

"Lyda?"

"I'm ok!" Lyda whispered, her voice hoarse. "I just need to stand up!"

His arms gently under her arms Gandalf helped her stand, a few of the dwarves even reached out to help too. Several large sturdy hands took hers and pulled her to her feet.

"Those trolls would not have survived without a cave nearby!" Dwalin said loudly. Thorin nodded in agreement and strode away. Most of the dwarves reluctantly followed him except for Dori and Ori who straggled behind, their eyes worriedly fixed on Lyda.

"I'm alright!" Lyda smiled, a small flicker of pain crossed her face as soon as she said the words.

"You saved our lives!" Ori whispered, a tiny little smile on his face. His big nervous eyes stared at her, clearly still more than a little frightened of her.

"I need to leave you hear my dear for a moment!" Gandalf grumbled and followed the others, his staff firmly in his hand. He marched after Thorin and the other dwarves.

Lyda looked around her and suddenly noticed that the shattered remains of the Troll which had held her were scattered all about her. Massive chunks and chips of grey stone.

"What happened?" Lyda asked, shocked to hear her voice sounded ry and croaky like a frogs.

"We had to chop it away!" Ori explained.

"We couldn't pull it's fingers away from you, you'd stopped breathing so we tried to break it's fingers" Ori interupted his little brother. "You'd stopped breathing so Thorin breathed for you".

Lyda started at him and nearly reached to her mouth, her lips tingled slightly. "He what?"

"You weren't moving at all! Thorin thought you were going to die, so he brought you back".

"Didn't Gandalf?"

"No, he arrived just as we broke you out of the troll hand" Dori explained.

Lyda shook her head confused, her cheeks flushed. "You should go after them. I just need to sit down for a moment" She urged the two dwarves who reluctantly did as she asked. As soon as they were out of sight Lyda leant her head agains her knees and took a deep breath.

Slowly she ran her fingertips along her lips, the flush of colour on her cheeks only getting rosier by the second. Now she could feel where his beard had pressed against her face. Her skin tingling, her lips especially.

"Oh dear, not good! This is not good at all!" She whispered to herself, her head in her hands.

Quickly she got to her feet and did her best to pace up and down, a small rush of panic as she saw the broken trolls head nearby. It's face fixed into a horrible pained snarl.

She held her hands to her mouth and whimpered slight, suddenly aware of just how close she had come to death. The shock hit her all once and she crouched down on the ground, trembling.

"Oh dear! Oh dear! Lyda, pull yourself together!" She whispered, her hands on either side of her face. She rocked back and forth for a moment before the feeling of sheer terror subsided a little, her heart beating so quickly she was sure that it would force it's self out of her chest at any moment.

She paced the clearing for a few minutes before she sat back down again, her legs shaking still.

"You should have some water". Thorin's voice said gently behind her.

Lyda turned, startled, her eyes so large they threatened to pop out of her head. Without saying another word he passed her his small flask and turned back to the other who had followed him out of the troll cave.

"How are you feeling my dear?" Gandalf asked and knelt down beside her.

"I'm alright". Lyda reassured him, she got to her feet and smiled, a small wince of pain across her face as she did so but managing to more or less hide her discomfort.

In the distance they all heard a loud howl, all the dwarves instantly alert.

"What is that? A wolf?" Lyda asked, frightened she huddled next to Gandalf.

"A wolf? No that is no wolf!" Bofur replied, all of the dwarves looked around them. Wary.

"We should move!" Thorin ordered.

Nobody argued with him. Quickly everyone followed Thorin, Gandalf with his arm around Lyda She did her best to follow them, her ribs in pain with each step. She hobbled slightly, eventually she held onto Gandalf's arm as they ran.

From the glade they kept running forward through the forests, the pain in Lyda's ribs more and more acute. Like dozens of very thin needles slowly being pushed into the marrow of her bones. Each wince eventually became a small gasp of pain as she ran. She bit her lip and did her best to hold back the tears.

For a moment they stopped, the sound of howls all around them. Everyone with a weapon except for Lyda. Panting Lyda looked up and noticed the a large creature crouched at the top of the hollow slowly creeping on all fours down towards them. It's eyes fixed on Thorin, hackled raised.

"Look out!" Lyda screamed, pointing at the creature just as it leapt towards them. His back to the Warg Thorin turned, sword raised and sliced across it's face, killing it instantly. He looked over to her for a brief moment and nodded his thanks before looking back at the dwarves.

"Dwalin, take Lyda! I know a place not far from here!" Gandalf ordered turning to Dwalin who instantly turned to Lyda and pulled her onto his back without so much as a grumble.

Quickly Gandalf strode ahead of the other dwarves and lead them out of the hollow. They ran for several minutes, Lyda on Dwalin's back, the motion of him running even more painful for her than walking herself but she did not say a word. Her teeth gritted together and both eyes closed.

After a while the trees began to thin out, a wide open space littered with moss covered boulders littered ahead of them. They could still hear the wargs howling behind them, the sound sending shivers down Lyda's spine.

She turned and looked behind them, relived to see there was nothing there, only to look to her right and see a pack riding the ridge to their right in the distance. The orcs clinging to the backs of the massive creatures.

"Wait!" Thorin bellowed, Killi nearly running out from behind the large boulder which sheilded them from the packs view. He grabbed Kili by the collar and pulled him back. All of them huddled being the large boulders. The sound of the orc pack further and further away.

Nobody moved. Every free hand on their weapons. Lyda's heart in her mouth.

Suddenly from above the boulder they all heard the faint scratching of claws against stone. Thorin's face hard as stone, everyone's breath caught in their throat.

Lyda looked over at Thorin, waiting for him to shout or scream at them to run. Their faces polar opposites, his set hard as stone, both of his stern blue eyes fixed on the rock above them. Lyda's face pale and terrified, shaking like a leaf. Even the colour in her berry red lips drained.

With one quick motion Fili sept forward and turned to point his drawn arrow at the warg and it's rider above the rock. Under pressure his first arrow barely missed it's mark, the arrow struck the warg in it's shoulder and not it's head as he intended. In pain it yelped loudly before Kili's second arrow found it's mark. It's rider killed by Thorin as it leapt towards the group, his sword embedded in it's skull before it could attack.

They all stood silent for a moment, praying that nobody from the orc pack had heard them. The horrible howls which hurtled their way quickly dashing their hope.

"Quickly! Follow me!" Gandalf shouted, he ran ahead out into the plain. Everyone followed him without question. Everyone except for Thorin who angrily demanded where he was leading them. Gandalf did not reply, Thorin clearly frustrated.

The wargs were getting closer. Lyda turned to look over her shoulder to see three of them cross the ridge behind them.

"They're coming!" She shouted. Dwalin winced at how high pitched her voice had gone, able to feel her tremblling, terrified.

"Where is Gandalf?" Someone shouted. They all looked around frantically, the tall wizard nowhere to be seen. Only a large cluster of rocks at the bottom of the hollow. Dwalin put Lyda down as gently as he could on the ground and reached for his ax. Lyda looked around them. A goblin and it's warg steed in every direction. They were surrounded.

"Over here! Over here you fools!" Gandalf shouted urgently from the rocks, they all turned and saw his long pointy grey hat retreat back into the rocks. Everyone instantly ran towards it, all except Thorin who, seeing Lyda on the ground ran towards her and roughly picked her up in his arms.

Reaching the rocks he was just about to pass her to Dwalin who was already at the entrance to the tunnel when Lyda pushed herself out of his arms frantically. She fell onto the ground in huddle and quickly stood up, resisting Thorin as he tried to push her into the tunnel.

"No! Fili!" She shouted and pointed at Fili who was still behind them. Several orcs closing in on him.

Closing her eyes Lyda ignored the pain and look a large deep breath. Thorin was just about to run out to the aid of his nephew when the air was filled with the haunting sound of Lyda's voice. Everyone, even the warg's and their goblin riders stood still. Only the dwarves unaffected.

"Kili!" Thorin shouted, Kili running towards them and leaping down the tunnel.

As soon he was down the tunnel Thorin reached for Lyda's arm and helped her up before pulling her down into the tunnel with him. They all stood at the bottom of the tunnel, ready for the goblins to follow. Instead they all heard the loud clamour of horse hooves on the ground. Thorin turned and looked around him at the tunnel, the distinctive feel of elven magic everywhere. An angry scowl on his face. Not realising that he still held Lyda's arm.

"I guess we have no choice now do we!" He snapped at Gandalf.

"Lord Elrond can help us! We need to be able to read that map!"

"We don't need any help!"

"Lyda does! How long do you think she can continue in her current state!?" Gandalf asked.

Instantly Thorin's eyes turned back to her, angry. He let go of her arm and stormed down the tunnel.

"I said the half-ling would be a burden!"

Lyda looked like she might cry, her eyes going red she lowered her head and slowly followed them. Fiercely rubbing away her tears with her sleeve before they could run down her face.


	4. Chapter 4

Lydia breathed a relieved sigh of relief as she sank down into the water, something the elves had put in it instantly soothing her aching bones. She leant back against the back of the bath tub and breathed in deeply, the horrible stretched feeling in her lungs subsiding.

For a few moments she lay there, her lips loosely open, a small sad slant in her eyebrows. She looked around the room and tried to shake the hurt feeling hanging over her head.

The room was made almost entirely of white marble streaked with a rich dark blue which ran through it like dozens of intricate veins. There was hardly any furniture in the room, the roof tall even by elven standards, to Lyda she felt as though she was bathing in a grand hall. The bath in the floor a pool to her, she held on to the edge of the bath. The floor a good three feet bellow hers in the water.

The dwarves had all been ushered away to eat, but Elrond, sensing just how much she was in pain had put her in the care of his daughter Arwen who stood by the doorway just a few feet away. Arwen watched her curiously, silent as a statue, only her eyes moving.

From outside Lyda heard the dwarves all roar with laugher and a large crash. For a moment she considered getting out of the bath and looking over the edge of the balcony to see what was going on but quickly decided against it. A sad lonely look on her face.

"Is the water warm enough for you?" Arwen asked kingly and stepped forward. A large thick bath robe draped over her arm. "Would you like to dry yourself and eat with the others?"

Lyda shook her head. "No. I think I'll stay here for a bit longer" She replied, her voice quite and clearly lonely. "If you don't mind that is! I don't want to inconvenience you".

Arwen laughed quietly. "I don't mind!" She walked over to the bath and sat down at the edge. "You are from the Shire are you not?" Lyda nodded. "I have heard of your folk. Gandalf says you are a surprising people. Quiet, friendly and that you love your food!"

"That is true!" Lyda laughed. "We do love our food".

"And that you are brave!" Arwen finished. Lyda's face dropped again.

"Not brave enough it would seem". She said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Arwen asked, sad to see the beautiful half-ling so downtrodden.

"I thought I could help" Lyda turned to her to explain her hands on the edge of the bath and her chin resting on top of them. "But Thorin says I'm just a burden. I tried to help them, but I think I might just be a nuisance. I might just go home".

'Thorin Oakensheild?" Lyda nodded. "I would not take anything Oakensheild says to you to heart, he has had a hard life. One of great responsibility and hardship".

"But I helped him!" Lyda whispered, angry as she felt her eyes well up. She wiped away at the tears angrily. "I saved his life!"

"Don't let what he says hurt you. I have met men like him before, stoic, angry at times and prone to only say angry words. Give him time. When a man like him has been hurt many times he tends to treat everyone as an enemy. Soon he will see that you are his ally".

Lyda wiped away the last of the tears and smiled a little, her nose and eyes rosy from crying.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cry!"

Arwen smiled. "Don't apologise for what you needed to say".

—

Lyda picked at the bowl of food in her hands and tossed the hazelnuts into her mouth. She had deliberately avoided the dwarves all day and instead ended up wandering the gardens. Eventually she had scrambled up one of the ivy covered statues and sat nestled at its feet. A bowl of food in her hands and happily munching on the nuts as the sun set. The entire garden eventually submerged into darkness, a soft white light streaming from the great elf house behind her.

The pain in her ribs had completely subsided. If anything she felt better than she had ever felt in her life. There wasn't even any bruising over her ribs.

Nearby she heard the heavy click of dwarven boots on the stone path. Lyda pulled her knees to her chest and held her breath as Thorin came into sight. His face lost in thought, holding both his hands behind his back.

On the bath behind her she heard Gandalf's voice approach, Thorin hearing it too and looking up at the path above the statue where Lyda hid.

"A strain of madness run's in that family!" She heard Elrond argue. "How can you be sure that Thorin Oakensheild will not succumb to the same sickness which consumed his grandfather and his father?"

Lyda watched as the small amount of light in Thorin's eye vanished. A deep sadness in them. He turned to look away, his head bowed slightly. Both brows pressed together.

Not thinking Lyda let her hands lean forward a little, several nuts rolling from her brown and tumbling onto the path. Hearing the noise Thorin turned and looked up to see her curled at the feet of the statue, and embarrassed look on her face. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds.

"How long have you been there?" Thorin asked, his voice low and deep, and almost kind tone to it.

"A few hours" Lyda admitted, her arms around her knees which where held tightly against her chest.

Thorin nodded and looked away for a moment, still holding his hands behind his back. "The elves, were they able to help you".

Smiling Lyda jumped down from the statue and held her arms out to her sides. "I'm cured!" She smiled, her short curly red hair bobbing around her shoulders as she nodded her head happily.

Thorin shook his head, the tiniest ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth. "Good". His face returned to it's normal hard guarded expression. "We can't afford to have an injured member of the company".

Without saying another word Thorin slowly walked away, his face sad, lost in thought. Lyda's cheerful smile gone.

—

Lyda crept past the snoring dwarves as silently as she could, her small hairy little feet made her way that was the maze of sleeping dwarves. Bombur blocking her way she carefully stepped over him and reached her bag at the far end of the room. Quietly she pulled out her blanket from where it was rolled on top of her bag and laid it out, using the bag at her pillow. Slowly she crouched down next to her bag, her knees against her chest and her toed curled under the blanket which was wrapped around her like a cocoon. Smiling contentedly as the warmth build up under the blanket she suddenly felt the front of her nose tingle as though she was being watched.

Looking up her eyes locked with Thorin's blue eyes from across the room. He looked at her, an expression on his face which she could not quite distinguish, a strange mixture of curiosity and disapproval. Quickly she looked away from him and buried her head her arms, only her curly red hair peeking out from the top of her blanket. She closed her eyes and did her best to fall asleep.

—

_The troll's hand was around her again, Lyda's lungs crushed in it's grip. She was struggling, her hands clawing at the trolls hands but she could feel consciousness escaping her. She screamed, the sound more of a muffled wheeze. _

_"Please….please get me out!" _

_Just before everything turned black she saw Thorin's face above her, his beautiful blue eyes fixed on her. No contempt in them, only fear, fear for her. As if the troll's hands were not bad enough the last bit of breath in her lungs vanished. Her heart pounding. _

_In one quick movement his lips were against hers, his large strong hands on either side of her face. Lyda felt her whole body shiver, he breathed firmly into her, her lungs in agony from the force of it but relieved at the same time. Her mouth tingled where his lips touched hers, the taste of rust and pine in her mouth. He breathed into her again, another rush of life. She wanted to open her eyes but found she couldn't, afraid it would destroy the strange rush of emotion which trembled through her body. Instead her reached up for his face, her fingers against his beard, they slid up the side of his face. He did not protest, again another breath of life..._

**"Lyda…Lyda…wake up!" **

Lyda's eyes opened and she started as she saw Thorin in front of her, all the dwarves grumbling as they got to their feet. His hand on her shoulder.

"What? What's wrong?" Lyda asked, her cheeks flushed red. Grateful that he could not see her face clearly in the dark.

"We're leaving" Thorin replied.


	5. Chapter 5

Lyda shivered violently, the water finally reaching through her cape and down to the under layers of her clothes. They had been walking along the mountain path for hours now and Lyda could feel the last bit of her energy drain from her. Cold, exhausted and above all, hungry.

"Miss Baggins! Keep moving!"

Lyda lifted her head, the rain pummelling down so hard it felt like dozens of tiny stones hitting her skin. Thorin glared over at her for a moment and turned back, Lyda at the back of the line and Thorin leading them.

She stared at him a moment, his face lit up by the lightning which crashed above them. A flash of blue light which made his own blue eyes all the more striking. Behind him she suddenly saw something massive move, something so large that it blocked the light from the cloud behind it.

Seeing her expression change from discomfort to horror Thorin turned just as the massive stone giant reared up from the mountain side on the opposite side of the ridge. Another one in the distance.

"Run!" Thorin bellowed with all his might. Nobody needed to be told twice. As quickly as they could they all ran along the stone path. The path slippery, several of the dwarves nearly slipping as they ran.

"Run! Don't stop!" Thorin shouted.

They all hurtled along the path, Thorin turning ever few seconds as he ran to look behind him for the rest of the company. Like a small earthquake they all felt the ground shudder, but still none of them stopped, even as cracks began to show in the mountain face beside them.

"Here! There is a cave! Get inside!" Thorin shouted, waiting for all of them to pass him before going in himself. The two massive stone giants which were fighting getting closer and closer. Just as the Lyda was about the enter the cave entrance there was a massive roar above them.

"No! Get back!" Thorin shouted at her. Instinctively Lyda did as he said and stepped back just as a massive boulder crashed into the path in-front of her and smashed it to pieces.

Lyda's blood ran cold as the cracks along the wall expanded to the path she stood on, she looked up at Thorin. Wide eyed, terrified and completely un-sure what to do.

"Jump!" Thorin shouted. Dwalin holding him by his belt as he leaned forward, half hanging over the precipice to reach out . "I'll catch you! Jump!"

Feeling the path under her beginning to crumble Lyda took one step back and leapt as far as she should, screaming terrified as she did. Her stomach shrivelled like a prune as she hurtled over the void beneath her.

For a brief moment time seemed to slow down, the burst of light from the storm cloud above them illuminating the entire mountain side. Thorin's eyes fixed on her, her arms reaching out towards him.

Thorin's hands clamped like a vice around her wrists he pulled her into his arms. Lyda wrapped in their strong embrace for a few seconds, able to feel his heartbeat pounding against the side of her face. The strong smell of pine and fur. She looked up, his face inches from her, without thinking her eyes settled onto his lips, pressed into a hard line. His face and hair dripping wet from the rain.

Just as quickly has he had pulled her into his arms he let her go, Lyda stumbled into the tunnel. Dazed, both from her close encounter with death and the strange rush of euphoria which she felt when in Thorin's presence.

"You should all get some sleep! As soon as the storm passes me move on!" he ordered. "And you!" He turned to Lyda. "Try and keep up tomorrow!"

Visibly shrinking Lyda curled into the corner of the cave. Her wet cloak around her, she leant her head against the wall and closed her eyes, embaressed and upset. For the hundredth time since they had left Rivendel she considered turning back. The thought even more tempting now that she knew that possibility had crumbled with the path. She would not be able to return now, at least not they way they had come, and she was too frightened to attempt a different route on her own. She was stuck both with Thorin and the tangled ball of emotions he created.

She looked up again and watched Thorin settle down opposite her in the cave, everyone else already settled. A few snores already establishing themselves as part of the ambiance.

Feeling her eyes on him Thorin looked up, except this time Lyda did not look away. Her warm brown eyes on his, an angry scowl on her face for quite possibly the first time in her life. She held his gaze chin raised, angry.

For once Thorin did not scowl back, if anything he looked surprised, shocked even at her expression.

Lyda considered for a moment getting up and letting him have a piece of her mind, but quickly decided against it. Too tired both physically and mentally. She shook her head and leant back against the wall, eyes closed and determined to fall as sleep as quickly as she could. Shivering from her wet cold cloak.

Just as she was about to drift off into sleep she felt someone sit down beside her, she opened her eyes, shocked to see Thorin.

"Here. Eat!" He passed her a small piece of bread, the rest of the loaf in his hand. "You need it".

Slightly confused Lyda look it from him and nibbled on the bread, the taste slightly stale. Thorin had refused to take any of the elven bread, and the little food that remained from the Shire was on the stale side.

"Here!" Thorin passed her another small piece as she finished the first. Lyda ate it, her body slowing warming up. Getting up Thorin held his hand out to her.

"Your cloak, give it to me".

Even more confused Lyda did as he said. Her cheeks flushed red. Taking it from her Thorin tossed it to the side of the cave and took his of, passing it to her.

Lyda took it form him, nothing short of shocked. His cloak thick, heavy and warm.

"Mine will keep you warm. You need to stay warm or you'll freeze to death!" Thorin turned away back to the other side of the cave.

"Thank you!" Lyda quickly blurted out. Thorin nodded, but otherwise saying nothing. Lyda buried her head in the warm cloak, her cheeks flushed even more as she realised that it smelled of him.

Thorin had only just sat down when they all heard a loud clang, like a large bolt beneath them had been moved. The floor trembled.

Looking down at the ground Thorin saw a long thin line spread across the floor, a light from bellow them through it.

"Wake up! Everyone! Get up!"

It was too late. With a rush everyone hurtled down through the trapdoor which opened bellow them. Everyone shouting as they rolled down the tunnels, battered around as they fell against the roughly hew stone.

With a loud thud they hit the floor, dazed and bruised. Behind the last to fall out of the tunnel Lyda clung to the edge for dear life, Thorin's cloak still around her shoulders. Panicked she pulled herself back over the edge into the tunnel and looked back down over the edge.

The dwarves were all in a large huddle in some sort of cure cage. Everyone struggling. Thorin at the side of the group against the side of the cadge.

Before any of them could react a hoard of goblins rushed towards them from the path which lead up to the cadge. Lyda watched horrified as the dwarves were dragged out of the cadge, some of them by their hair. Thorin with two goblins either side of him, struggling as hard as he could but unable to fight against all the goblins. He looked around him, a worried look on his face.

"Lyda! Lyda!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

From above them in the tunnel Lyda nearly yelled back, but quickly stopped herself. Just as the goblins dragged the dwarves out of sight Thorin happened to look up and saw her. Relief on his face she shook his head firmly at her and was gone, dragged around the corner.

Lyda knew what that look meant. _Don't follow! _

She did not move for several minutes, frightened. Thorin's cloak pulled around her as tightly as she could. Slowly she leant over the edge and let herself drop down bellow into the open cadge, her feet barely making a sound as she hit the floor. Thorin's cloak around her sending a cloud of dust around her like beating wings.

She tiptoed forward, her shoulders hunched and stooping. Scared she would turn the corner and come face to face with a goblin. She could hear a loud noise in the distance, cackles and laughter, none of it from the dwarves. For several minutes she ran down the tunnels, stopping every few seconds incase a goblin should approach but otherwise maintaining a steady pace.

The laugher was getting closer and closer, the tunnel widened and she reached a large carvers. Goblins everywhere, an enormous platform built in the centre of the cavern. Quickly Lyda retreated around the corner, surprised that none of the goblins had spotted her.

She soon saw why.

Looking at the platform her heart jumped into her mouth as she saw Thron being dragged away from the group, struggling like a madman. Four goblins holding him down in front of the massive goblin in front of him. An ugly sneer on it's revolting face. large protruding eyes that looked down at Thorin as if he had seen gold for the first time. The large goblin laughed and shouted something indistinguishable, two of the goblins grabbed hold of Thorin's arms and tried to pull him onto his knees, a third goblin walked up behind him. A long whip in his hand. Thorin still struggling, the goblins pulling his arms apart, his back towards the goblin with the whip.

Lyda stifled a scream as the first lash came down onto his back, the blow so ferocious that he was thrown forward a little. The goblins screamed and laughed more, all the dwarves shouting and doing their best to break free from the wall of goblins around of them. Helpless as they watched the whip come down again and again.

Thorin bit his lip and braced himself, his back on fire, long marks down his back under his clothes. Determined not to make a sound. The goblin king glared at him.

"You are not the king under the mountain!"

Thorin said nothing, only glaring at him from under his dark eyebrows. His teeth bit down on the insides of his mouth, the whip ripping through his top tunic, each blow a little closer to his skin.

"Bow little dwarfling!" The goblin king mocked, motioning to the goblin with the whip to strike Thorin harder. The goblin doing as he was told, Thorin nearly screaming at the blow, his whole back arching out in pain. He breathed heavily and gritted his teeth again, a cold sweat on his skin.

"Azog only needs your head!" The goblin king laughed. "He doesn't mind what I do with the rest of you! He'll be here soon! I have time for a little fun!"

Thorin's arms were shaking, even from so far away Lyda could see his body tremble in pain. His head still held up proudly, he glared at the goblin king.

There was a brief silence, everyone, the dwarves, the goblins and Lyda with their eyes fixed on Thorin and the goblin king.

Do something! You need to do something! Lyda mentally screamed to herself. She looked around. desperate for an idea to occur to her. The sound of the whip echod out across the cavern, the goblins screaming excitedly like rabid animals. Thorin nearly thrown to his knees by the blow but quickly picking himself up. The back of his tunic completely ripped open, several red stripes across his skin.

"Sing! I have to sing!" Lyda whispered to herself.

She looked across the cavern, the hoard of goblins seemingly endless. Lyda looked back at the platform, the goblin with his hand raised ready, blood on the end of the whip. Thorin's shoulders shaking in pain, his chest heaving. Lyda filled with an indescribable rage at the sight.

Taking a deep breath she pulled the cloak closer around herself and stepped forward.


	6. Chapter 6

Thorin gritted his teeth, a horrible numbing pain spreading from the back of his head, his back on fire. Each whip mark on his skin throbbing.

He looked up at the goblin king, wishing with all his might that he just had a sword so that he could cut the large goblin a new smile. He could feel his knees beginning to give way, determined to pass out before he bowed. A few more blows and the blackness would surely close in, he took a deep breath and tried to steady himself but the next blow struck him so hard he half dropped to his knees. Biting his lip so hard he drew blood Thorin forced himself to stand up, every muscle in his back tensed.

"Bow little king!" Laughed the Goblin King.

"A king does not bow!" Thorin snarled, his teeth bared.

Laughing the goblin king walked up to him and grabbed him by the throat, Thorin lifted up into the air, the two goblins still holding his arms so he could not relive the pressure around his neck.

"I'm going to have fun with you!" Laughed the goblin king. Thorin so close to his face he could smell its repulsive breath.

Dropping Thorin back onto the ground, he motioned for another one of the dwarves to be brought up. Fili pulled from the group. Thorin's eyes widened, the pride in his eyes gone, replaced by horror.

"No! No! Your quarrel is with me!" He bellowed struggling with the goblins holding him.

The goblin king laughed as Fili was pulled to his knees. Not as strong as his uncle and unable to fight the goblins.

"No! NO!" Thorin bellowed, killing and shouting he wrestled as hard as he could.

Smiling the goblin with the whip stood behind Kili and raised the whip.

"No! I'll bow before you! I'll bow!" Thorin shouted, desperate. Fili not saying a sound. His hands clenched together, teeth gritted. Ready to take the blow.

Just as the whip was about to come down a sound ripped into the air, at first the pitch a little like a scream, but with a waver in it that made it sound as if it was sung by ice. Pure as crystal.

Every single goblin instantly stopped moving, transfixed. Panting Thorin looked up and saw Lyda walking slowly along the rickety wooded bridge to the platform. All the goblins around her swayed like trees in the wind. She tiptoed past them, her voice louder and louder, carrying through the entire cavern. The echo making it even more bewitching. The sound washing over everyone it waves.

Thorin stared at her. Not entirely sure if he was hallucinating from the pain.

She didn't look afraid, if anything she looked fearless. Such a calm relaxed look on her face as she sang, his eyes wandered to her lips as she sang. Each sound drawn out, she slipped past the goblins, Thorin's cloak still around her shoulders.

Sensing the goblins grip around his wrists slack Thorin pulled himself away from them and stood silently for a moment in the middle of the platform. Fili able to break free as well. As soon as she reached the end of the bridge to the platform Lyda ran up to Thorin and swung the cloak around his shoulders to hide the vicious whip marks on his back. Still singing she looked up as him, her brows upturned into a worried slant.

Thorin did not move, even though her song was not to enchant any of the dwarves he was suddenly struck by how serene she looked when she sang. Dirt on her pale white skin from the tunnels when they had fallen, a small scrape across her cheek and knuckles.

Raising her hands she motioned to the dwarves to follow her, all the time singing at the top of her lungs. Her eyes scanned the crowd, worried that somewhere among the crowd there would be one or several deaf goblins immune to the sound of her voice.

Reclaiming their belongings from the pile at the corner of the platform they all ran as quickly as they could, Thorin the last to leave the platform. His hand reached for Lyda's arm, accidently grabbing her hand but not letting go. Lyda started for a moment, her voice wavered for a second but she quickly picked up where she had left off. The goblins nearly released from their enchantment. She fixed her eyes on the goblins, the goblin king especially, her fingers tingling. Thorin's grip on her hand firm but gentle. His rough calloused palm against hers.

"Lyda! We need to leave! Now!"

Lyda let him lead her away from the platform but stopped as soon as they reached the end of the bridge, still singing she pulled him back and pointed at the bridge frantically.

"What?" Thorin asked confused. Reaching for the sword in his other hand Lyda swung it as hard as she could at the ropes hoping up the bridge. Realising what she was trying to do Thorin took his sword back from her and swung it down as hard as he could over the ropes. Fili and Kili beside him they broke through the ties, the bridge slowly fell sideways and crashed into the chasm bellow.

The noise blocking out the sound of Lyda's voice many of the goblins woke from their trance, the goblin king roared angrily. As Thorin and the rest of the dwarves disappeared down one of the many tunnels. The path to follow them destroyed.

They ran as hard as they could, taking any tunnel which appeared to climb upwards.

"Wait! Wait!" Lyda panted next to Thorin. "We don't know where we're going!"

"We don't have time!" Thorin replied. He reached for her hand again and pulled her along behind him, worried she would fall behind. Her small hobbit feet having to run twice as fast as the dwarves.

Ahead of them they saw a bridge and on the other side what looked like daylight at the end of a long tunnel. Shouting excitedly they all ran as hard as they could towards it. Thorin and Lyda now at the front of the group.

Just as they were half way across the goblin king burst through from under the bridge, old board of wood and splinters tossed everywhere.

"Where do you think you're going!" He bellowed, a mace in his hands. Lurching forward he swung the mace towards Thorin and Lyda, both of them jumping back just in time to avoid it. Behind them goblins poured out of the tunnels, the dwarves trapped between the hoard and the goblin king.

Behind the goblin King a small goblin ran up behind and yelled something, the goblin kings face lit up.

"Well…Thorin, it looks like I have the pleasure of introducing you!"

Lyda felt Thorin's grip on her hand clamp like a vice as a tall white orc strode down the tunnel behind the Goblin king towards them. A cruel sneer on his face, scars dug into it's body in a clearly intentional way. It laughed at them, his voice so deep it sounded like two large rocks being ground together. Thorins face dropped, his heart in his chest. Not realising he was hurting Lyda's hand, her face twisted into a wince.

'No! It cannot be!"

Distracted for a moment by Azog none of them had time to react as the goblins behind them closed in, the goblin King lunged forward and tore Lyda away from Thorin. Suspending her over the edge of the precepice.

"Bow to me…king!" The goblin king laughed. "Bow!"

Lowering his sword Thorin stepped forward, his eyes on Lyda and the grip the goblin King had around her neck.

"Put her down and I'll bow! You have my word!"

"Thorin! No!" Lyda gasped, her voice throttled. She gripped at the goblin kings wrist frantically. Squirming, desperate to breath.

"Your word eh?" The goblin King laughed, one eyebrow raised. "Very well, I'll…let her go!"

Realising what was about to happen Thorin leapt forward towards Lyda, his hand out stretched frantically for her. Lyda's stomach sank like a stone as she felt herself being released from the grip around her neck. Screaming she reached out for Thorin. His fingertips almost reaching hers, a look of terror crossed her face as she realised he would not be able to reach her in time.

Closing her eyes she hurtled down into the crevice bellow, the darkness swallowing her.


	7. Chapter 7

Most of the dwarves had looked away, Fili and Kili with tears running down their cheeks.

Thorin was barely moving, His hands tied above him on the rack's fame, both his wrists bright red where the tight leather straps had been tied too tightly, his tunic in rags on the floor beside him, trickles of blood running down his back like a hundred little roots.

In front of him Azog smirked, the long steel claw he had to replace his right arm raised in front of Thorin, the tip of one of the fingers inches away from Thorin's face.

Thorin did not say a word, the agony had reached such an acute pain he felt as though his mind had been disconnected from his body. His back in shreds, both his feet suspended from the ground a little he hung limply from the rack.

"Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror!" Azog laughed turning and yelling loudly to the baying hoard. "Behold! The king under the mountain!"

The goblins laughed and cackled loudly, Thorin completely limp, each breath a painful rasp.

"Today! Today the king under the mountain will die in the mountain! A outcast! A failure! A failed… king!?"

Thorin raised his head a little, his blue eyes on Azog, a large bruise forming under his eye where Azog had struck him.

"Untie these ropes and maybe I'll take your other hand!" He muttered, his hands shaking.

Laughing Azog took a swipe at him, this fist slamming into the other side of Thorin's face. Bone against bone.

Thorin gasped loudly as a second punch struck him squarely in the stomach, each breath a fight between the pain from his stomach and the desperate need to breath.

Raising his hand Azog ordered for Thorin to be cut down from the rack, two orcs climbed up the sides of the rack and cut away the leather straps. With a loud thud, too weak to break his own fall, Thorin hit the floor. His shoulders shook violently as he pushed himself up, desperate to stand but the two orcs held him down. His arms pulled behind his back.

Drawing his sword, the edges of the blade jagged, Azog walked up beside Thorin. The other orc grabbed hold of Thorin's long thick hair, his neck exposed. Thorin took a deep breath, his heart in his chest.

From the corner of his eyes he saw Fili and Kili watching him, their eyes red, tears streaming down their faces.

"It's alright!" Thorin muttered, his voice barely strong enough to cary over to them. "It's alright!"

Laughing Azog raised his sword over his head and the whole cavern went silent. Everyone with their eyes fixed on Azog and Thorin.

Thorin closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Determined not to show even the slightest shred of fear. He might have failed the company, his people…Lyda…but he would not show his fear. The sword came down.

With a massive roar everyone was thrown to the side, Azog nearly tossed off the edge of the platform, he clung to the edge frantically. The two goblins holding Thorin down caught fully by the blast and falling off the edge. Screaming as they fell.

Nobody moved for a few seconds, dazed an in shock, Thorin on his side, on the ground, he looked up and saw the distinctive outline of Gandalf approaching, his long pointy hat scraped along the top of the tunnel leading to the platform.

"Take arms! Fight!" Gandalf shouted.

With his last shred of strength Thorin pushed himself to his feet and reached for Orcrist which lay in a pile not far from him. As soon as his hands closed around the hilt he felt Fili and Kill on either side of him, his arms over their shoulders they half dragged half carried him away. Thorin doing his best to walk himself, his whole body shaking.

"Run! Run!" Gandalf shouted behind them. He turned and lowered his staff at the oncoming Goblins. There was a massive blast followed by a bright white flash, the rocks on either side of the tunnel crumbled, some of the goblins crushed under the small cave in. Unable to follow the dwarves.

They ran as fast as they could, Thorin's lip bleeding from how hard he was biting it. Fili and Killi's arms around his back to support him. Their rough sleeves rubbing across the whip marks.

"Daylight! I can see daylight!" Fili shouted relieved. They all ran a little faster. Everyone breathing a loud sigh of relief as they burst out of the mountain side, the setting sun on their skin. They continued running down hill for a few minutes before eventually stopping, Fili and Kili gently letting go of Thorin. Gandalf rushed up to him, concerned. He looked at the horrible patchwork of blood and skin on Thorin's back, blood still trickling from them. Thorin's face ashen, even his lips without colour.

Muttering something Gandalf hovered his hands over Thorin's back, Thorin breathing a loud sigh of relief as the pain subsided to a dull itching rather than roaring pain.

"Thank you!" He whispered, his head bowed, both of his hands rested on his knees as he knelt of the ground. A sad lost look in his eyes.

Looking up Gandalf ran his eyes around the group. His own face dropping as he noticed Lyda was nowhere to be seen.

"Lyda! Where is our hobbit?"

Thorin bowed his head, his hair falling across his face a little. Something which almost looked like

tears in his eyes. He stood up slowly and faced Gandalf. "Lyda…Lyda fell!" His voice wavered for a moment as he said said the words. All the dwarves with their heads bowed, Gandalf gasped, in shock.

"No! What…how!"

"She saved us!" Ori whispered. "She sang and none of the goblins could move. We nearly got away!"

"Lyda…" Gandalf whispered, tears running down his old face.

Thorin cleared his throat, a lump rising at the back of it. "She fell. I couldn't save her".

Behind them they all heard a twig crack and turned, their weapons raised.

Lyda smiled nervously as she stepped out, her fingers knotted together. Thorin's breath caught in his throat, he stumbled forward towards her.

"I'm ok!" She smiled nervously shrugging her shoulder. A large tear in her trousers, a deep scrape on her knee.

"You fell!" Kili whispered, everyone shocked.

"I came back!" Lyda smiled, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Thorin. His eyes fixed on her so intently she thought he might drill a hole into her own eyes if she looked at him.

Nearly tripped Thorin walked up to her and pulled her into an embrace, Lyda's breath in her throat. Unable to breath, her heart pounding.

"You fell!"

Lyda did not say anything, her hands motionless by her sides. She could feel Thorin trembling, he stepped back, his arms still around her. Lyda unable to look away from his eyes. His hands moved down to her wrists, so close to her hands that Lyda was half tempted to reach for his hands. Her breath still caught in her throat. She looked up at him nervously, her large brown eyes appearing almost gold in the setting sun.

"I came back!" She repeated again.

Just as Thorin was about to say something they all heard a howl in the distance. Everyone turned towards the mountain and saw, to their horror, the Azog's distinctive white warg over the mountain ridge.

Nobody needed to be told what to do. As the pack of wargs raced down the ridge towards them they all ran as fast as they could. Lyda beside Thorin, her hand suddenly in his. She didn't dare look at him, her heart in her throat. Both cheeks so flushed she looked like she had been struck across her face. Seeing Thorin struggling to keep up Lyda grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder to support him. Indignant Thorin tried to pull away from him but Lyda did not let him.

"Don't be stupid!" Lyda said angrily, Thorin surprised to hear her shout at him. "You need my help!" He did not argue with her, instead he gripped her hand more firmly and did his best to keep up with her, Lyda only just managing to hold him up. Her slight frame so much smaller than his.

Ahead of them the other dwarves suddenly stopped and turned to face them, the edge of a precipice bellow them. "We're trapped!" Bofur yelled. Everyone looked around, desperate to find away out. The howls of the wargs getting closer.

"The trees! Climb!" Gandalf yelled. The dwarves all leaping up to the nearest branch. Lyda turned to Thorin and cupped her hands to help Thorin step up into the branch.

"Climb!" She ordered Thorin.

Grimacing in pain, the skin on his back tender from the movement Thorin placed his foot in Lyda's hand and jumped up to grab the branch above him, groaning as he pulled himself up. Every nerve in his body begging him not to move. Doing her best to push him up Lyda saw the wargs approach, so close she could see their red eyes approach. Leaning down from the branch above Thorin grabbed her hand and pulled her up onto the branch beside him just as a warg rushed past under the tree. It teeth snapped at her ankles, so close to her she felt it's breath against the soles of her feet.

They both stood up on the branch, Lyda helping Thorin climb higher, her hands holding his to steady him as he climbed further up. His hands shaking. Standing bellow him, even in the low light she could see the terribly damage Azog had inflicted on him. His entire chest and back exposed. Marks all over his back, bruises forming over his chest. The ends of his long hair wet with his own blood.

Reaching a higher branch Lyda sat down beside him, Thorin leaning his head agains the trunk of the tree. Panting, his eyes closed biting his lip. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly.

Thorin turned to look at her, his head still resting against the trunk of the tree. "You came back!"

"I came back again!" Lyda smiled, her cheeks still bright red. For a very brief moment forgetting that there were orcs and wargs bellow them.

Something shot past them with a loud "whoosh!" sound A burst of flames bellow them, looking down they both saw the wargs which had attempted to climb the tree run, two of them in flames. The dwarves in the other trees throwing flaming pinecones at them. Fili and Kili cheering loudly.

Thorin looked out at the ridge not far from them, able to see Azog and his white warg not far. Azog snarling. Thorin raised his head, a proud smile on his face.

"Not today!" He laughed.

No sooner had the words left his mouth that they all felt the tree shudder and topple backwards, many of the dwarves instantly jumping to the trees behind them. Lyda didn't move, even as the tree slowly began to fall down. It's roots lifting. Thorin would not be able to make the jump, one look at his face telling her all she needed to know.

As the tree hurtled to the ground Thorin pulled her into his arms and turned so that her back was agains the tree trunk, protected between his own body and the tree. Screaming as the tree feel down Lyda wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head against his chest. Both eyes closed. The ground hurtled towards them.

The dwarves watched helplessly as the tree crashed to the ground, Thorin and Lyda buried in it's branched. Howling the wargs rushed up, a few of the flaming pinecones the dwarves had thrown before catching on the fallen pine tree. Smoke and flame rising.

They watched as the wargs dragged Thorin out from the branches, Lyda nowhere to be seen. Thorin clawing at the warg biting down on his shoulder, screaming as it dragged him over the ground and tossed him in front of Azog. Thorin didn't move, his eyes stared up at the sky, a horrible rasping sound as he breathed. His chest rising and falling more and more slowly, both his hands shaking.

"Bring me his head!" Azog laughed, one of the orcs beside him dismounting from it's wargs. It stood over Thorin, it's sword raised. Thorin's throat exposed, a resigned look on his face.

Screaming Lyda threw herself at the orc, Orcrist in her hands, she drove the tip of it's blade through the orcs stomach and stood over Thorin as his head rolled back, both his eyes closing.

"Don't TOCUH him!" Lyda snarled, a wild angry look in her eyes. Any trace of fear buried under her rage. Thorin's sword slightly too heavy for her, never the less, she held it in front of her.

Azog stared, at first confused and then angry. He dismounted the warg and strode toward her, twirling his sword threateningly.

Lyda whipered for a moment, frightened. The white orc a good three times taller than her, his entire body seemingly made of pure muscle. Not so much as a hit of kindness in his eyes, only malice.

Taking a firmer grip on the sword she braced herself, Orcrist raised. She looked down at Thorin for a moment. His eyes closed, skin pale, his chest barely rising with each breath. Azog snarled a her, now only a few feet away and hissed something in a horrible language she could not understand.

"I'm not moving!" Lyda shouted loudly, the tiniest trace of a waver in her voice. "I'll kill you if you touch him!"

Azog stepped forward.

Before she realised what was happening Lyda was suddenly lifted into the air. Three enormous talons around her waist. She screamed, terrified as the ground bellow her disappeared. Thorin still on the ground bellow her.

"No! Thorin!"

Azog was only just able to jump out of the way as a second massive eagle swooped down and lifted Thorin up into the air. Several other eagles behind it, each of the dwarves plucked from the trees, Gandalf the last to be hoisted up into the air. Up and away to safety.


	8. Chapter 8

Thorin opened his eyes groggily, the first thing he felt was the numb throbbing pain from his back, his chest quickly following suit. Tender all over. He groaned and turned over out of habit, his back pressing against something and arching his back in pain.

"No! Don't move!" Lyda said quickly her face over him. Her hand gently on his shoulder she moved rolled up blanked in front of him so that he could lean against it for support while still on his side.

"Lyda!?" Thorin looked dazed, his eyes flashing between being focused and dull. "What…where are we?"

"You are in my home!" A loud borderline angry voice said from nearby. Thorin looked up and saw an enormous man walk towards them. His eyes wild like an animal. Again Thorin moved to get up, something about the man making him wary but Lyda gently held him back down.

"No! You're not moving!" she insisted, her quite voice surprisingly authoritative.

"I gave you shelter from the orcs!" The man continued, stepping forward into the light so that Thorin could see him better. "This little half-ling saved your life! Not many creatures can stop me, when I have changed. Her voice…it's quite extraordinary!"

"I know! She is!" Thorin replied, he turned to look up at her, Lyda quickly looked away and pretended to brush some dirt off her clothes. Her cheeks bright red.

"Thank you, for sheltering us!" Thorin replied. The large man snorted loudly and turned to leave.

"Don't thank me, thank your little half-ling!"

Closing the door heavily behind him Beorn left the room and Lyda turned back to Thorin, avoiding eye contact.

"We've been here for a few days now" she stepped over him on the bed and knelt down behind him. picking up the warm bowl of water which was on the bed and squeezed out the rag that floated in it. The water slightly red. The smell of some kind of herb in the water. "You had a fever yesterday but it's gone now!"

Before Thorin could reply the door to the room was kicked open, all of the dwarves rushing at once.

"Look you you! Wide awake and ready for the road!" Bofur smiled, his silly hat at an even more twisted angle on his head than usual. "Now maybe if you let Lyda get some sleep she'll have the energy to come with us!" He laughed.

Thorin turned onto his back to look at Lyda, ignoring the pain as his back touched the crumbled sheets behind him. His eyes on Lyda, noticing just how drawn and pale her face was. Dark circles around her eyes.

"Is everyone safe?" Thorin asked, turning back to the dwarves.

"Yes. Everyone uncle!" Fili smiled, Kili beside him. Both of them ecstatic to see him awake.

"We won't be able to leave for a few days!" Gandalf said behind them. "Your injuries are severe. You will need to recover!"

Thorin nodded his head though that did not stop his old familiar scowl from returning. Angry that he was bed bound.

"Come on! Thorin needs to rest!" Gandalf said loudly, shooing all the dwarves out of the room. "Out! All of you!"

The door closed, both Thorin and Lyda silent.

"Don't move!" Lyda said gently. She leant one hand on his shoulder, the other with the rag from the bowl. "Some of the wounds are still a little infected". She explained.

Thorin winced as the warm rag touched one of the more sensitive whip marks on his back. Every muscle in his back tensing, both fists clenched.

"Sorry!" Lyda apologised. Nervously pulling away.

Groaning Thorin moved to sit up.

"What are you doing? Thorin!"

"I'm getting up!" Thorin replied, the little colour in his face vanishing as she stood up. Using every ounce of energy that he had to stand. Indignant Lyda leapt off the bed and stood infront of him, her hands held in front of her as if to push him back.

"Thorin! Get back-"

Taking her hands in his Thorin held them tightly, Lyda's breath caught in her throat. She started at his grip around her hands. Gently he moved one hand under her chin and lifted it so that she would look at him, his hand lingered along her jaw and eventually hovered along the side of her neck.

She stared at him, both eyes wide open. Her heart pounding. Unsure of what to expect.

"You saved my life". Thorin murmured.

Lyda looked away from him, her cheeks so red he could feet the heat radiating from them. His hand moved to her chin again and turned her face up to look at him.

"I wanted to be useful". Lyda tried to look away but again Thorin turned her face to look at him. A soft look in his eyes that she had never seen before. "Thorin, I need to take care of those wounds! They're going to get worse!" Lyda tried to pull away from him but he held her hands tightly in his. Refusing to let go.

"Why did you?" He asked, a confused look in his eyes.

"What?"

"Why did you save me? From the goblins, from Azog…why?"

Lyda stuttered for a moment, her brain desperately trying to think of a reply which would sound convincing. "Gandalf asked me to come, if you died I would not be able to sing to the dragon. You would not have a home…I wanted to help you get your home back…"

Thorin moved his hand up to her face, his thumb gently caressing the skin under the deep graze across her cheek. "How did you get this?"

"W-w-when I fell" Lyda's voice stuttered. "This slant in the rock broke my fall. Stopped me from breaking my legs!" She forced a nonchalant laugh. Her nerves clearly showing.

"Sit" Thorin ordered firmly.

"What?"

"Sit!" Thorin repeated, leaning over the bed and taking the rag Lyda had dropped on the mattress when he had gotten up. Holding her face under her chin with one hand he gently cleaned away the dried blood which still speckled her face.

"You haven't slept have you?"

"I have!…here and there" Lyda muttered. Her eyes on the ground.

Thorin said nothing as he cleaned away the blood, eventually moving to the dirt still on her face. Lyda's fingers knotted together nervously.

"There!" Thorin smiled. "I can see your face now!"

Lyda stood up and took the rag from him. "You need to lie down!" Shaking his head Thorin sat beside her on the side of the bed. "Thorin! Lie down!" An indignant frown on his face Thorin did as she said, leaning back on his side. Lyda intensely aware of just how strong his arms were, doing her best to keep her eyes on his face, or close enough to his face to not look him in the eye.

Dipping the rag back into the bowl she cleaned it before stepping behind Thorin to clean the whip marks. Thorin wincing again but saying nothing. Lyda glad he had his back to her, her hands trembling slightly. His hair caught on some of the scabs which had formed Lyda gently swept them away, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his skin.

Non of them said anything. Thorin's eyes ran over the room, a small grimace on his face, Lyda being as gentle as she could.

"What happened?" Thorin asked. "How did we get here?"

"The eagles. They weren't happy about it but Gandalf convinced one of them. Actually I think he may have threatened one of the eagles!" She chuckled. "It took us here-"

"Us?"

"You and me" Lyda clarified quickly. "It would not take all three of us, and I thought Gandalf should stay with the others to protect them just incase".

"So you came alone with me to face that man?" Thorin asked, deeply impressed.

"He isn't a man. He's a skin changer, when I first saw him he was a large bear".

Thorin turned around to face her. "A bear?"  
>'Thorin! Stop moving! You'll only make the wounds worse!"<p>

"You said he was a bear!?"  
>"Yes, he saw you and got angry. I don't think he's overly fond of dwarves. I sang and he calmed down enough for me to talk to him. Now will you please lie back!"<p>

Thorin reached over and took the rag from her tossing it to the bottom of the bed. "No! You're tired and I'm guessing by your face you haven't eaten". Lyda tried to protest but Thorin stopped her. "Go and eat something! I'll still be hear, you've done more than enough for me Lyda".

Realising she would not be able to argue with him Lyda crawled off the large bed and out of the room, Gandalf and Beorn entering as she left.

"Well, I can't say that I've seen you looking worse Thorin Oakensheild!" Gandalf laughed.

Slowly Thorin got down from the bed and stood before them, nearly reaching for the pillar nearby for support but resisting.

"It's…pleasant to see you too Gandalf" Thorin muttered.

"I assume Lyda has gone to eat?" Thorin nodded. "Good! I tried to get her to eat earlier but she refused, she can be so stubborn! She wouldn't leave your side".

"I never thanked you Gandalf" Thorin said suddenly. "When you insisted that Lyda Baggins accompany us I thought it was because you had some strange notion of entertainment" Thorin cleared his throat, unused to apologising. "Lyda Baggins is the bravest person I have ever met, and without her I would have died more than three times over. Thank you".

"Don't thank me!" Gandalf smiled, pleasantly surprised. "Thank Lyda!"

—

Thorin walked into the hall quietly, all the dwarves asleep. Their snores a constant hum like dozens of bees buzzing. He looked around for Lyda, each step taken slowly, still intensely sore. His eyes finally settled on a small figure sitting at the table, the chair so large her feet dangled half way up the chair from the ground. Her head on the table, a small tired snore from between her full lips.

Thorin smiled from a moment and observed her quietly.

Her head resting on one of her arms, the other stretched out in front of her, a half empty bowl of food next to her. A few crumbs still on her lips.

He walked up to her and reached up, gently pulling her out of the chair. Lyda did not wake up, even as she roughly fell into his arms. Her head gently rocked back and forth as he carried her back to the large room and set her down on the bed.

Pulling the blanket away from the mattress he pulled the thick blanket over her, before tucking her feet under the blanket. One of her legs hanging over the edge of the bed slightly.

She stirred slightly as Thorin crawled onto the bed beside her and lay down, wrapping the edge of the blanket over himself so that there was a sheet between himself and Lyda. Laying his head down on the pillow he set his eyes on her shoulders as they rose and fell in her sleep. Her red hair in a tangle of tight curls along the back of her head.

For a moment he raised his hand, tempted to rest it on her shoulders but he resisted. Eventually setting it down on the mattress behind her shoulder blades.

"Thank you…Lyda Baggins".


	9. Chapter 9

Lyda opened her eyes, at first not realising where she was. Groggy she turned over, her hand resting on another which was not her own. Still sleepy she closed her eyes, the hand beside her gripping her one. The rough fingertips caressing her own.

"Lyda?"

With a start Lyda opened her eyes, not fully awake. Thorin's blue eyes fixed on hers. Startled Lyda sat up quickly, thrown off balance she toppled from the side of the bed and landed with a loud thud on the floor. She stood up quickly, and brushed her hair out of her face.

"W-w-what are you doing? I-I-I mean…" Lyda cleared her throat. Unsure of what to say.

Thorin tossed his blanket aside and stood up in front of her. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Me? Sleep? Fine, yes fine!"

Lyda deliberately pushed her hair so that if fell back in front of her eyes. "Food! You need some food!"

Before Thorin could say anything Lyda had rushed out of the room, her face bright red. The dwarves in the other room loudly eating. As quietly as she could, not wanting to draw attention to herself Lyda picked out some food from the table into a spare bowl. Beorn watching her intently as she tiptoed around the table, curious.

"Lyda!" he called out over to her. Lyda jumped at hearing her own name called out and walked over to him nervously.

"Follow me!' The tall skin changer ordered her, leading her into one of the back rooms. Jars and baskets filled with food everywhere. "Here" He took something from the top shelf and passed it to her. "The dwarf can't stay half naked forever!"

Blushing even more Lyda thanked him and turned to go by Beorn stopped her. "The dwarf? Does he know you have feelings for him?"

Lyda's mouth dropped, at first tempted to deny Beorns observation, his face quickly telling her it would be pointless.

"I don't know…" She admitted. Beorn nodded, and grumbled something under his breath.

"I wish you all the luck with your heart Misstress Baggins, but if you wish his heart to be yours you will have to fight for it". Lyda looked up at him, deeply confused. "Gold has a strange effect on the dwarves, and the arkenstone an even greater power. A power even your voice might not be strong enough to save him from".

Lyda felt a lump rise in the back of her throat, she looked down at the ground. Unsure of how to react to what Beorn had just said. Tears in her eyes.

"I don't say this to hurt you, you understand? Just to warn you little half-ling, you must be prepared!"

"He wants his home back!" Lyda replied, her voice quiet and lost. She looked up at him, her eyes swimming with tears. "I want to help him!"

"Help him, but know him. He would not be the first of his line to be driven mad with greed".

Before the tears had time to spill from her eyes and run down her face Lyda quickly turned away, she quickly left the food and clothes Beorn had given her to Kili, ordering him to take it to Thorin before she rushed out of the house. Tears streaming down her face.

—-

It was several hours before Lyda reappeared again from the forest. Both her eyes swollen and red from crying. As Beorn's house came back into sight Lyda sat on a rock for a few minutes to compose her self, her shoulders still shaking from sobbing. Angrily she wiped away the tears, her knees pulled to her chest she sat quietly on the large mossy rock. Her chin resting on her knees.

Feeling the urge to sob into her hands quietly again Lyda buried her head against her knees and cried her eyes out for the hundredth time in the last few hours. Her eye so tired from crying they felt as though they had been boiled in tears.

"Come on! Stop it now!" Lyda growled angrily to herself. "You're being stupid! He never even said he had feelings for you!"

Just as she had said the words he saw Thorin and several of the other dwarves emerge from the house, Thorin with a deeply worried look on his face.

"Lyda? Lyda!"

Realising that it was still intensely obvious she had been crying Lyda frantically reached into her waistcoat pocket, her fingers settling on a small gold ring which she quickly slipped on. Instantly vanishing into thin air.

"Lyda?! Lyda where are you?" Thorin bellowed out into the forest.

Lida did not move, she roughly rubbed at her face, attempting to scrub away the tears. She did not want any of them to see her like this, especially Thorin.

Her heart beat faster as Thorin walked in her direction. All the other dwarves scattered about, Thorin's eyes resting several times on exactly the spot where she sat but not seeing her.

"Lyda?"

"She'll be alright?" Beorn reassured Thorin, walking up behind him. "The little half-ling is stronger than she looks!"

"What did you say to her?" Thorin snapped at Beorn, turning glare up at the enormous skin changer. "Fili said he saw you talking to her before she left the house! What did you say?"

Lyda's heart plummeted into her stomach as Beorn opened his mouth to reply, her hands covering her mouth, horrified.

"I told her that if she loves you she should be prepared to loose you to the gold sickness" Beorn replied angry, distain for Thorin in every syllable. "Your kind are a greedy, selfish people! You value gold over lives you deem lesser than your own! That is what brought the dragon to you, and that is what will push a pure soul far more valuable than gold away from you!"

Thorin looked as though he might explode with rage. Nothing but fury in his eyes.

"How dare you!? I am not my grandfather! You presume to know much mountain man! Lyda is none of your concern!"

"No, she is yours! And you will loose her in that mountain!" Beorn muttered as he strolled off. Thorin's fists clenched together so tightly his knuckles were white.

"Lyda?!" Thorin bellowed angrily at the top of his lungs. Lyda jumping with fright, his face with the most terrible expression. A dark lost look in his eyes that terrified her. As if she was looking into the soul of a completely different dwarf. The blue of his eyes no longer warm and contented as they had been that morning when she had woken and held his hand. These eyes were vengeful, angry eye, his dark brows pressed together in an angry arch casting a shadow over them.

Lyda shrank back against the rock, her hands clutched together agains her chest. Frightened she did her best to breath as quietly as she could till Thorin had past.

"What have you done Lyda Baggins!" Lyda muttered to herself, rocking back and forth. "What have you gotten yourself into!"


	10. Chapter 10

Lyda walked into the large house as quietly as she could, the sun already setting outside. She had waited till everyone else had returned to the house before returning, Thorin the last to leave the forest. His voice calling for her repeatedly for hours.

Standing on her tip toes in order to reach the door handle Lyda closed the door as quietly as she could, the door making a faint 'click' sound as the latch caught.

Instantly a large hand rested on her shoulder, Lyda screaming a little with fright. She turned to see Thorin's blue eyes fixed on hers. Worry all over his face.

"Where were you?!" He demanded angrily.

Her heart still pounding from the fright he had given her she let out a garbled warble of half truths.

"I needed some air, I went for a walk".

"I went looking for you! We all did! None of us could find you!"

"I got a little lost, took me a while to find my way back" Lyda muttered, looking down at her feet and shuffling where she stood. Doing her best not to cry again, the beginning of a sob rising again at the back of her throat. A rush of emotions drowning her now that she was in Thorin's presence.

Thorin looked at her confused. Noticing that her cheeks were oddly devoid of colour, her eyes nervous and sad. The warm gold which normally shone from them muted.

"Lyda what's wrong?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" She tried to reassure him. She briefly looked up at his face and then looked away, unable to hold his gaze.

"Lyda, why are you lying to me?" Thorin gruffly demanded, his tone offended.

Lyda tried to push past him, tears beginning to force their way to her eyes. "I'm just tired! I need to sleep".

Thorin's hands clamped down on her shoulders, firmly holding her. Under any other circumstance Lyda would have had butterflies buzzing in her stomach, but after seeing his face earlier she felt a little afraid. Her eyes looked up at him, frightened. Thorin shocked to see her looking at him in such a way.

"Lyda?" His grip on her arms loosened a little but he did not let her go, one hand almost moving towards her face but instead resting on her shoulder. "What's wrong? Tell me!"

Lyda said nothing, instead she stepped towards him and buried her head against his chest, her head barely taller than his shoulders. Sobbing quietly. A little unsure of what to do Thorin slowly wrapped his arms around her, at first hesitant, before his grip tightened suddenly. One arm around her lower back, the palm of his hand along side her tiny waist, and the other around her shoulders. His hand knotted in her hair, gently caressing the back of her neck.

"Lyda, tell me what's wrong?" He whispered gently, he leant his head down towards her. His beard against the side of her face. His lips inches from her ear. "Please?"

"I was scared" Lyda finally muttered. "I just being silly, I got so scared and I needed some air. I didn't want everyone to see me crying".

Nodding his head, satisfied with her answer Thorin held her. Neither of them moving for several minutes. Lyda infinitely content just to be held by him, Thorin's face with a similar contented expression.

"Don't be scared Lyda" Thorin whispered, his voice going so low she could feel it rumbling in his chest. "Don't be scared".

Lyda took a deep breath. "I'm not anymore" She whispered, barely realising what she had just said.

Stepping back from her for a moment Thorin wiped away the few tears which had managed to escape her eyes. Lyda looked up at him, her eyes warm and happy again, the smallest curve of a smile at the corner of her red lips. His hand slid up to the side of her face, Lyda instantly unable to breath. She kept her eyes fixed on him, his blue eyes slowly edging closer, so close she could feel his warm breath on her lips. His hand slipped to the back of her neck, his lips merely and inch from hers.

"Thorin?"

Lyda closed her eyes as his lips pressed down on hers, a rush of euphoria wrapping it's self around her stomach. She kissed him back, her own lips barely moving. Frightened and impossibly happy all at once. Slowly Thorin stepped forward, his other arm moving around her waist and pulling her closer to him. He pulled away from her, Lyda's lips followed him, she opened her eyes, wanting more than anything for him to kiss her again. A worried expression on her face.

"What's wrong?"

Thorin smiled at her, one hand against the side of her face, gently caressing her skin. She stared at him, completely frozen where she stood. Part of her hopeful, the other half terrified. Lyda remarking to herself how she had never seen him smile so fully before. His eyes softening with the expression.

"Nothing is wrong Lyda Baggins. Nothing".

This time he kissed her hard, Lyda surprised and starting a little, he slowly walked forward till her back was against the wall, his arms slowly sliding around her back, his hands knotting themselves into her hair.

A little hesitant Lyda's hands slid up his chest, eventually having to stand on the tips of her toes in order to wrap her arms around his neck. Thorin lifting her up so that his arms held her around the tops of her thighs. Lyda looking down at him happily. An enormous grin on her face which lit up her whole face. She moved her hands onto either side of his face and leant down to rest her forehead against his. Her eyes closed she pressed her lips against his softly, the warmth of his skin on hers. Another rush of euphoria, smiling even as he kissed her repeatedly.

Thorin winced as her hand accidentally reached across the top of his back and brushed over one of the healing wounds, his grip around her weakened for a moment. Lyda sliding back to the ground again.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She whispered apologetically, her hands over her mouth.

Grinning Thorin shook his head. "It's alright" He flexed him shoulders slowly, a small trace of pain still on his face. "I'll live".

Hearing one of the dwarves on the far side of the room shuffle in their sleep Thorin reached for the door and opened it, Lyda's hands in his he lead her outside and closer the door behind him.

From the shadows across the other side of the room Beorn watched, a worried look on his face.

"Be careful little half-ling!" He murmured to himself. "Who will he choose? You? Or the gold?"


	11. Chapter 11

Lyda didn't saw a word, the nerves and excitement in her stomach so mixed she could not tell one from another. Her lips still tingled from Thorin's lips on hers. Thorin closed the house door as quietly as he could, not wanting to wake the dwarves, or even worse, Beorn.

As soon as the door had closed he turned to look at her for a moment, a smile crept up the side of his face and pulled her towards him, both arms wrapped so firmly around her she could not move away from him. Not that she wanted to, his lips found hers again. Lyda wrapping her arms around his neck, careful not to accidentally touch his back. Her fingers knotting into his long black hair.

Finally he stopped, both his eyes closed, and leant his forehead agains hers, his hands on either side of her face. "What have you done to me Lyda Baggins?" He smiled, Lyda opening her eyes.

"I'm not entirely sure!" Lyda grinned nervously. "I've been a burden?" She joked. Thorin chuckling at her.

"If could have seen myself a then!" He laughed, Lyda looking to the door of the house. Worried his deep rumbling laughter might wake the others, Thorin walked away with her from the house. Still laughing quietly to himself. His eyes alight and his expression happy. As soon as they were far away enough from the house to not be heard Thorin turned back to her and his hands settled on her waist, one draped around her back, pulling her closer to him.

"I thought you hated me!" Lyda muttered, hardly able to think clearly, feeling a little intoxicated on a flurry of emotions. Thorin leant back and looked at her, his brows furrowed, he shook his head.

"You worried me. Your voice…it brought me back to a time I lost a long time ago. You opened old wounds I thought had healed".

Lyda's hands dropped to his shoulders, still having to stand on the tips of her toes in order to reach her arm around his shoulders. "I couldn't stop these though…" her eyes dropped, an angry look on her face. "I should have stopped him! I could have stopped the goblin king, Azog!" She spat the words out as though they were poison. Thorin amused to see her normal nervous disposition change so drastically, her brown eyes glaring at the memory in her mind.

He smiled and moved his hand to her neck, turning her chin up so she would face him. "You did stop them! If it weren't for you I would have been half dead long before Azog arrived".

Not wanting to remember what she had seen that day Lyda shook her head and leant her head against his chest. Smiling contentedly as she heard his heart beat steadily through the tunics he wore. The sound reminding her of drums echoing deep within a mountain.

"What happened Lyda? When you fell down the tunnel? What happened?" Thorin asked, taking her hand and holding it tightly, his other arm around her shoulders. His large cloak keeping them both warm in the brisk night air.

"I landed on these mushrooms, they stopped my fall after the small slant in the rock. I thought I was dead for a moment!" Lyda smiled a little, shaking her head, Thorin' grip around her shoulders tightening at the words. Holding her closer to him. "I couldn't move for a few minutes, I kept trying to move my legs but by hands and legs were shaking. Then everything blacked out and I remember being dragged along the floor by this creature".

"Filthy goblins!" Thorin spat.

"No, it wasn't a goblin, I don't know what it was but it called itself Gollum. I didn't move till it stopped dragging me and when it had stopped I….I ran". Lyda hesitated for a moment, tempted to tell him about what had really transpired but stopped herself. Feeling oddly possessive of the small gold ring she had found Gollum's cave. "I found a tunnel and followed it. When I came out I saw Gandalf run past and I followed".

Thorin leant his head against hers, and closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the surprising joy that that swept over him when he had seen Lyda. Her tiny little frame stepping out from behind the tree looking at him so nervously.

Smiling Lyda curled up closer to him, her eyes also closed, relishing every second she was beside him. Beorn's warning still at the back of her mind and doing her best to forget about it. She shook her head and held Thorin closer.

"What's wrong?" Thorin asked, able to feel her face frowning.

"I'm afraid!" Lyda whispered.

In the distance they all heard several howls, both of them recognising the sound of a warg pack. Lyda hearing Thorin's heart beat a little faster, worried.

"Don't be!" Thorin whispered back and leant down to kiss her. "My turn to protect you Lyda Baggins!"

—-

Lyda said nothing as she helped Bofur pack their belongings on the ponies, resisting the urge to smile all the time had been almost impossible the last few days. The butterflies in her stomach so constant she was surprised she did not have permanent indigestion. None of the dwarves seemed to have noticed the looks which flashed between Thorin and herself when they thought nobody was watching, not even Gandalf for all his apparent powers of observation seemed to have realised what was growing right under their noses.

Beorn on the other hand was more than aware, often glaring at Thorin and casting a sympathetic glance in Lyda's direction. Several times Lyda had been half tempted to talk to him, sure that he had jumped to conclusions about herself and Thorin. Especially after seeing them leave the house late at night. But she eventually decided against it, his sheer hight compared to her own a considerable factor in the decision. Not wanting to anger the wild man. Instead she decided to let it be. It did not mater if he thought she had lain with him, it was none of his concern. Only Thorin's and hers.

Eventually, after a few days Gandalf had decided that they should leave, Thorin recovered enough to be able to ride one of the ponies that Boeorn had begrudgingly leant them.

From the house Thorin walked out, the last of the dwarves behind him. His bag strung over his shoulder. Running up to him Lyda took the bag from him and angry rebuked him.

"Just because you can ride does not mean you should be carrying that!" She snapped, her tone deliberately more angry that she felt, her face desperately wanting to smile at him rather than appear angry.

Thorin did not argue, his eyes lit up a little, a tiny smile at the corner of his lips. The expression vanishing almost as quickly as it had appeared. He turned to thank Beorn who stood behind them.

"You have my thanks for sheltering us" He said Beorn, his old sullen expression returning.

Beorn said nothing, nodding to him and turning to Gandalf.

"The half-ling" Beorn began, Thorin who was about to turn away to the others stopped to hear the rest of what Beorn was about to say to Gandalf. "Take care of her. Don't let…don't let dwarf greed hurt her!"

Snarling Thorin turned to march up towards Beorn, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Gandalf, surprised by Thorin's violent reaction, quickly stepping between the two of them. Beorn growling back at Thorin.

From in front of the house the dwarves and Lyda watched as Gandalf spoke angrily with Thorin and Beorn, Thorin his his hand still on his sword. Eventually Thorin turned away, his face black as thunder. Mounting his pony he loudly ordered for everyone to leave, the other dwarves instantly mounting their ponies and riding out. Lyda the last to ride out.

"Lyda? Lyda! Ride up here with me!" Thorin called out loudly from the front of the line. Surprised Lyda rode ahead till she was along side him. Looking at her, his face still etched with the left over anger of his conversation with Beorn he reached for her hand.

"Ride with me?"

Nodding her head, intensely aware that all the dwarves could see them, shock on their faces. Gandalf Lyda stood up on the saddle of her pony. Thorin pulling her onto the pony in front of him, one arm instantly around her waist. His hand pressed over her stomach protectively.

"Breath Miss Baggins!" Thorin laughed quietly, able to feel her breath catching in her throat. His fingers softly moved around her waist. "I need you alive!"


	12. Chapter 12

Thorin got down from his pony first, reaching up for Lyda and helping her down, his hands lingered around her waist for a moment. A small smile on his face.

"I think they all know know!" He whispered under his breath, Lyda beside him as they both walked towards Mirkwood ahead of them. Lyda walking beside him, everyone else only just stepping down from their ponies. The dwarves whispering among themselves, all eyes on them.

"Maybe I'll just say my pony was too tired to carry me?" Lyda joked.

"Well then I might have to kiss you later!" Thorin whispered back, the smile on his face dissapearing as some of the other dwarves approached. His usual stoic expression returning.

In front of them the forest stretched out for miles, the trunks twisted in horrible stances. Lyda able to tell that they had not always grown in such a way, an air of sickness everywhere, realising that the air was far too heavy to be natural.

Gandalf walked ahead of them and towards the forest, the faint trace of an old path along the ground. He stopped suddenly and stared out into the forest.

"What do we do about the ponies?" Noi asked.

"Leave them!" Thorin ordered. "They know their way home".

"Wait! Leave my horse!" Gandalf ordered, Kili just about to set it loose. "I need it!"

"Why? Were are you going?" Thorin asked, his tone a little angry.  
>"I need to go back!"<p>

Thorin did not bother to ask why, the wizard would not likely disclose the information, and either way he was sure that the answer woudl only annoy him. Angrily he turned away and walked to the entrance of the forest. Lyda looked up at Gandalf, her frightened expression returning.

"I will be back soon!" Gandalf reassured her, leaning down towards her. "Take care of…of them. And whatever you do, don't enter that mountain without me!"

Nodding Lyda watched as he mounted the horse and rose off, the clouds above them beginning to rain. She turned back and followed the others, noticing that that rain was unable to pass the canopy of the trees. The tightly woven roof of leaves and branches too thick for the rain to penetrate.

She ran ahead and walked beside Thorin, almost shoulder to shoulder. Her hand on the small dagger hanging from her waist.

For the next four hours they walked for what seemed like an eternity. Everyone groggy, tensions beginning to rise. They felt trapped, like a rats in a glass bowl, the air gradually becoming staler.

Lyda kept a close eye on Thorin, sneaking a glance whenever she was sure he was not looking. He was hiding it well but she could tell that his back was causing him a great deal of discomfort. Every few minutes he would pause, pretending to scout a corner in the bed, slowly flexing his back each time. Relief on his face as he did so, but still, the colour in his face less and less as the hours past.

"Thorin? We should stop? Everyone needs to rest!?" Lyda suggested quietly, knowing he would take offence if she suggested that it was he who needed to rest the most out of all of them.

Nodding Thorin called the company to a stop. Everyone instantly dropping to the floor and rummaging through their bags for the food Beorn had supplied them with.

Slowly Thorin sat down and leant back against one of the trees. Lyda crouched down beside him she reached into her bag and pulled out a loaf of bread, slowly she pulled it into pieces and passed it to Thorin. Only eating a few of the pieces herself.

"I can feed myself!" Thorin replied gruffly, a small trace of jest in his voice but not much.

"I know!" Lyda smiled, packing what remained of the bread back in her bag. "But I'm a hobbit! I like feeding people.

She sat down beside him, a few of the morsels of bread in her hand and picked at them for a while before eating them. Savouring each bite.

"What do hobbits do?" Thorin asked curiously. "I did not see much of the shire, but I saw many farms".

"Most of us are farmers" Lyda explained, excited that he seemed interested in her beloved Shire. "Farmers, fishermen, craftsmen. We don't like to travel very much!" She chuckled. "And we like our food very, very much!"

"Why did you agree to travel with us then?" Thorin asked, even more curious.

Lyda tilted her head to the side for a moment as she though out her reply. "I've always been…adventurous I guess!? Don't get me wrong, I love the shire, and I miss it every day, but traveling the last few weeks with you and the others, it's like a part of my soul has been opened!"

Thorin chuckled at the light in her eyes as she spoke. "What did you do in the shire?"

"My family are woodsmen. My mother, Lina Baggins, she wanted me to do something a little less adventurous so she sent me to help Bilbo with his house and garden".

"Bilbo?"  
>"My uncle. He's been away for a few months and he wanted someone to keep his house in order. I've never been so board in all my life!"<p>

Thorin laughed, wincing suddenly as the motion of his shoulders shaking caused one of the scabs on his back to twinge with a sharp pain. Lyda's face concerned. Thorin pretending nothing had happened.

"Another few minutes and we should keep moving. I don't want to stay in this forest any longer than I have to!" He said quickly before she could voice her concern.

"When we stop tonight I'm taking a look at those!" Lyda whispered threateningly, pretending to pack up her bag so that her back was to the others and they could not hear her.

"I'm fine!" Thorin reassured her.

"I'm still having a look!" Lyda argued getting up.

* * *

><p>They stared at the bridge ahead of them, everyone dismayed as they saw it was broken, the putrid river it crossed oozing some kind of fume which made their stomaches curl.<p>

"We can't cross it!" Fili said out loud. "We'll have to find another way!"

"We need to stick to the path!" Thorin muttered, but still looked around to see if another way was possible.

As the other dwarves were distracted Lyda walked up to the edge of the bridge and looked over into the water bellow. Seeing her lean forward Thorin leapt forward and took her hand. Worried that the stone beneath her feet might crumble.

"I'm fine!" Lyda reassured him, not letting go of his hand. "I just wanted to see how far it was".

Nervous, Thorin slowly pulled her back to the start of the bridge. Lyda clearly with the beginning of an idea forming in her mind.

"Thorin, I think I can jump that if someone throws me" She suggested calmly.

Thorin would have reacted better if she had slapped him while making the suggestion. His face instantly dropping. "No!"

"Thorin! You heard what Gandalf said, we have to stick to the path!"

"No!"

Lyda looked over at Dwalin and eyed his strong arms. "Dwalin, Dwalin could throw me! We have rope, we could cross that way and stay on the path?"

"Aye! That might work!" Dwalin agreed.

"NO!" Thorin replied angrily.

Lyda's brows arched into an annoyed curve. Part of her was flattered that he was worried, the other half a little insulted. She had faced trolls, orcs, wargs and goblins over the last few weeks, but he wouldn't even let her attempt to cross a bridge.

As Thorin walked to the side of the bridge to see if there was a second path she marched up to Dwalin and pulled a roll of rope from his bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Throw me or I'll jump!" She demanded.

"What, Lyda! No!" Hearing her make the threat Thorin turned to face her just as she ran past him, her red short curls bouncing on either side of her head as she reached the edge of the bridge and leapt as far as she could.

Nori's hand's clapped over his mouth as Lyda just barely missed the edge of the other side of the bridge, she landed heavily on the edge, her hands only just managing to grab the edge.

"Lyda!" Thorin bellowed, his tone angry but mostly terrified.

Ignoring him for a moment Lyda scrambled on the edge, lifting one of her legs over the edge and pulling herself over the edge.

"Lyda?!"

Getting to her feet Lyda smiled at him. Thorin did not smile back, furious, his brows so low his eyes glowed furiously in their shadow. Looking away Lyda walked towards a tree growing not too far from the bridge and tied the end of the rope towards it before tossing the other end to the dwarves on the other side of the river.

Catching it Dwalin tied it to a tree near him before tossing another rope back to Lyda, this time tying it further down the tree. The ropes tied so that one was at head hight and the other at foot hight. Thorin was the last to cross, his face black as thunder.

As soon as he had crossed Thorin stormed over to her, Lyda stepping back from him, a little frightened. Thorin said nothing, eventually just walking away from her. Furious. The other dwarves followed him, Lyda trailing behind.


	13. Chapter 13

The light had been fading for the past few minutes, eventually Thorin resigned to the inevitable and ordered everyone to halt. Lyda still at the back of the group. She nervously glanced over at Thorin, her eyes catching his, he flashed a furious glare back at her. Lyda shrinking into a nervous little ball on the ground. Her knees against her chest she sat huddle in the roots of an old tree, wishing with all her might she could crawl into the ground and hide from everyone.

Walking over to her Dwalin sat down next to her and passed her a piece of bread.

"Don't worry lassie! He won't stay angry for long!"

Lyda looked back over at Thorin, noticing him walk out into the forest, each footstep slow and heavy. Still furious.

"We would have gotten lost!" Lyda explained to Dwalin. "I've faced trolls, orcs and goblins. I wasn't about to let a broken bridge stop me!" She said angrily, her arms crossed.

Dwalin laughed loudly at her, quickly stifling his laugher. "Give him a few minutes and then go and find him. He talk to him like you just did to me and he'll see reason!"

Getting up Dwalin walked away to help collect some wood for the fire, Lyda looking up as the sky changed from pale purple to a dark blue. Unable to see the stars through the tick canopy.

Thorin had not returned from the forest yet but she wasn't sure if she was ready to talk to him yet, quietly seething with rage in her own hobbit-like way.

"Stupid stubborn dwarf!" She muttered to herself and reached into her pocket for the small gold ring. From the tree above her she heard something shuffle, noticing for the first time just how many webs littered the forest around them.

Her spine tingling she stood up, a feeling in her gut she could not ignore suddenly urging her to find Thorin.

"Thorin?"

The others looked at her confused as she ran into the forest after Thorin, Dwalin shaking his head.

"Lover's quarrels!" He muttered laughing. The other's laughing with him.

Lyda followed his footprints on the soft ground, becoming more and more worried as the webs around her thickened. "Thorin!" She shouted, panic in her voice.

"Lyda?"

Lyda breathed a loud sigh of relief as Thorin stepped out from behind a tree, a spiderweb strand caught in his long black hair. She leant her head down and took a deep breath, her spine still tingling but ignoring it.  
>"I'm sorry! I, I couldn't shake this feeling that-"<p>

As she was about to finish her sentence Thorin stumbled and fell forward, his eyes wide and his skin turning ashen. "Run! Lyda, run!"

Lyda screamed as Thorin collapsed on the floor in front of her, an enormous spider clinging to his back. The tip of it's stinger piercing Thorin's lower back. She lunged forward, and kicked at the spider as hard as she could. The creature sent flying into the tree behind it, accidentally impaled on a branch which had broken of. Writhing horribly.

Hearing her scream the dwarves got to their feet but before they could run to her suddenly found themselves surrounded by spiders five times bigger than the small spider Lyda had just killed.

Ignoring their shouting as they fought the spiders Lyda ran up to Thorin and pulled him into her arms. His head in her lap.

"Thorin? Thorin!"

"G-go!" He rasped, his pupils so dilated his blue eyes had been pushed back into a thin blue line. "Lyda go!" He bellowed with the last of his strength. His whole body convulsing violently before it finally went still, the spiders venom overwhelming him.

She grabbed hold of his face and shook him as hard as she could. "Thorin! Thorin!"

Hearing the dwarves screaming some more and the horrible screech of the larger spiders Lyda tried to pick up Thorin, his arm draped over her shoulders but found she could not lift his dead weight. Panic overtaking her she reached into her pocket and pulled the ring over her finger just as the first spider came into sight. Crawling back in the mud she held her hands over her mouth as the enormous spider hovered over Thorin, it's pincers shuddering.

It lowered it's head over Thorin and Lyda stood up, realising to her horror that she had left her dagger by the tree. Not so much as a needle on her to defend Thorin, and she knew that without a blade she had no chance against the massive spider.

Reaching down the spider gripped Thorin with it's two front legs and began to cover him in a thick cocoon of webs. She watched as it began to drag him roughly away, following it slowly, careful not to make a sound. Soon the spider was joined by the others in the group. All the spiders dragging a dwarf cocooned in web. After several minutes they reached a tree and began to climb it, Lyda noticing that several other cocoons lay on the floor around the tree, their centre ripped open and what looked like bones around them.

Spying what looked like a small sword next to one of the opened cocoons Lyda ran up to it and picked up the dagger, it's blade considerably thicker in the middle. The blade with distinctive elven artistry. Her eyes still on the cocoon which contained Thorin she picked up several stones and tossed the first one as far away from the tree as she could, the loud clatter as it landed distracted the spiders, all of them leaving their prey hanging in the tree and scuttling over to the sound. Climbing the tree as quickly as she could she ran along the large branch till she reached Thorin, careful to avoid all the webs around her.

Seeing his face through the cocoon Lyda dropped to her knees and frantically scraped away the web over it, not caring as her nails accidentally scratched his skin a little. She grabbed his face and shook it as hard as she could.

"Thorin? Thorin please wake up! Thorin!" He hissed as loudly as she dared. He did not move. Puling away at the webs over his check Lyda leant her head down against it, praying she would hear a heartbeat.

"Please! Please! You can't leave me! Not here! Not like this!" She begged silently. Her relief indescribably as she heart his heart still beating. "Thank you! Thank you!" She smiled, tears running down her face she kissed his motionless lips. His skin cold.

From the forest there was suddenly a horrible shriek. Lyda stood up just as an arrow shot out from the forest and struck a spider which she had not seen above her. It's body landing on top of her Lyda fell from the tree with it, it's body cushioning her fall. Several horrible cracks sounded as it's bone-like exoskeleton cracked beneath her body. She didn't move. Wide-eyed and terrified, she stared up at the tree, the crushed spider beneath her, as the elves cut down the dwarves from the tree and dragged them away. A tall long haired blond elf leading them. Scrambling to her feet Lyda followed them, a red haired female elf carrying Kili over her shoulder.

"You're alive!" She whispered to herself. "Just stay alive and I'll save you!"


	14. Chapter 14

The first thing Thorin felt as he woke was a dull throbbing in his back, the healing wounds sore from being dragged over the floor. Sure that some of them had reopened. The back of his tunic felt wet and clung to his skin as he got up, pulling on the surrounding scabs. He winced and tried to stand up, his legs shaking as he did so. Barely resisting the urge to throw up. His stomach churning.

He had been lying in the cell now for what felt like days, though in reality it had probably been less than 24 hours. He was still reeling with anger from his talk with Thranduil. His fists clenched with rage each time he thought about it.

He earlier he had hear Noi crying from his cell, all the dwarves quiet and depressed. Sure than their mission not only had failed, but that they faced the rest of their lives cadged like animals in the prison of the woodland elves.

"Lyda was not taken!" Thorin said under his breath to Dwalin who was in the cell next to him. "If she escaped then she will find us and get us out!"

Dwalin had only nodded his head, pretending to agree. Thorin knew the other dwarves had already assumed her to be dead, after all, how could such a small little half-ling survive the spiders when even the dwarves with all their weapons and strength had not been able to.

But Thorin, for all his worrying knew that Lyda had survived the spider attack. The scratches on his face had not been caused by any spider and nobody else would have pulled the web cocoon away from his face first. He was sure it had been Lyda, and he was sure she would find her way to either help them or find help.

He walked to the far end of the cell and leant his head agains the wall before finally sitting down on the ground, his back beginning to hurt quite severally. Reaching under his tunic he winced as the lifted edge of a scab caught his finger.

"Damn orcs!" He muttered.

From between the bars of his cell he scowled as a hand reached through and dropped a bowl of water for him.

"Are we dogs to you now!" Thorin shouted, furious. Many of the other dwarves voicing their rage as water was brought to their own cells.

Thorin did not move from the back of the cell, furious and in too much pain to move. Groaning he laid down on his side, not caring how cold and hard the floor was. Relieved as he lay on the ground, his chest against the hard surface.

From the gate of his cell he heard the bars rattle, not even looking up he growled angrily.

"If you're going to leave us here to rot then at least leave us in peace!"

Two soft hand reached down to his face, Thorin startled as a plump pair of lips pressed themselves fiercely against his, a small little warm body crouching down on the ground beside him.

"Never! I'm determined to be a nuisance!" Lyda whispered, smiling. Her eyes swimming in relieved tears of joy.

"Lyda? Lyda!" Thorin turned and pulled her into his arms, the keys in her hands clinking loudly as it hit the floor.

"Thorin, Thorin we have to leave!" Lyda whispered. "I don't know how long the guards will be away!"

"You beauty!" Thorin laughed quietly, pulling her back to him and kissing her repeatedly. "How?"

"No time! I'll tell you later!" Lyda insisted, pulling him to his feet. Thorin wincing but otherwise following her without a sound.

"Lyda!" Balin laughed excitedly, the other dwarves shouting out excitedly.

"Shush!" Lyda hissed at them. "There are guards nearby!"

As quickly as she could she unlocked everyones cells, everyone standing behind her. Unsure of where to run.

"Where to now lass? Do you know a way out?" Dwalin asked.

"Yes! But we have to be careful! It's down in the cellars".

"What! The celler! How are we meant to escape through the cellar?" Noi exclaimed.

"You have to trust me!" Lyda replied back, leading them down multiple paths and tunnels, everyone on else. Sure they would come face to face with an elf.

Hesitant all the Dwarves followed her, even Thorin clearly a little on edge. After several minutes they reached the cellars, two elves at the table stone drunk. Loud snores from both of them.

Running up to a long line of barrels Lyda instructed them all to climb in, more than one of the dwarves yelling at her indigently.

"What?! Are you mad!" Dori snapped.

"No! No! You need to trust me! Thorin, please, I've looked and this is the only way out!"

"Do as she says!" Thorin instructed instantly, the dwarves all doing as he said without question and climbing into the barrels. Thorin climbing into the closest one.

Walking up to the lever near by Lyda instructed them all to hold their breath and pulled the leaver with all her might, the floor beneath the barrels rolling back and dropping them into the river bellow.

Just as the last barrel rolled down and the floor lifted back up Lyda dived forward, only just making it through the closing gap.

With a loud splash she landed in the water, the wind knocked out of her, she spluttered loudly and reached for the nearest thing she could. Completely forgetting for a moment that she could not swim in he enthusiasm to help the dwarves escape.

Reaching for her from his barrel Thorin grabbed her firmly and pulled her along side the barrel, not enough space inside it for him to pull her in with him. Lyda coughing and spluttering

"Well done!" Thorn smiled, Lyda rubbed the water from her eyes and smiled back.

Turning in their barrels all the dwarves quickly paddled their through the tunnel, everyone ducking as they came out of the underground stream. A guarded wall ahead of them.

"Everyone get down!" Thorn ordered. Everyone ducking down into their barrels. Lyda took a deep breath and held onto the ropes around Thorin's barrel, her head submerged and the water rushing past her faster and faster. For a few seconds a shadow covered her, looking up Lyda saw the wall pass over them, none of the guards which passed along the wall suspecting that the barrels carried several stowaways.

She was just about lift her head above the water when she felt the water around her rip her away from the barrel, all of them toppling over the edge of a small waterfall which ran outside the wall. Lyda panicked, the water swirling around her in clouds of froth. First her head hitting something, and then her feet and knees scraping along the river bed. She screamed in pain, a massive burst of bubbles lifting to the surface.

Clawing her way to the surface she inhaled a gulp full of water, two strong hands reached through the water towards her. Lyda gripped them as firmly as she could, coughing so hard as her head reached the surface she was sure her lungs would explode at any moment. It took her a few minutes to notice that she was on the bank of the river, her head pounding and her vision blurred. She gripped at the rocks like a half drowned cat. Terrified that at any minute she would be swept under the river again.

"Lyda!" Thorin bellowed loudly behind her.

Looking up Lyda screamed as she saw the pale orc looking down at her, a terrifying grin on his face.

"Hello little half-dwarf!"


	15. Chapter 15

Screaming Lyda kicked and struggled as much as she could, a sharp kick in the stomach quickly rendering her useless. Doubled over and in pain. Fear almost as paralysing as the lack of air.

"Please! Please!" She begged through panicked gasps. Azog said nothing, laughing instead. He twirled his sword threateningly and ordered something to the goblins dragging Lyda.

Shoving her to the ground they forced a filthy rag into her mouth and gagged her, Lyda panicked as she nearly inhaled a piece of it. The tasted of blood and orc sweat in her mouth, nearly vomiting from the oder and the taste.

Laughing they walked up to the nearest tree and slammed Lyda against it before tying her arms around the tree with one of the ropes they carried. Azog stood behind her, twirling his sword in his hands.

"Hold still!" He laughed.

Lyda screamed as the flat of Azogs blade slammed down onto her back, quickly followed by another. Her back on fire, each strike so violent she felt sure that a bone would break, her ribs especially. She tried to scream but her voice was muffled in the filthy rag, both her arm shaking, fingers clawing at the bark of the tree.

Azog muttered something to the other orc, both of them laughing. For a second they let go and Lyda crumbled to the ground, shaking like a leaf, tears streaming down her face. Frantically she reached for the gag over her mouth and tried to tear it away, the orcs instantly kicking her so hard in her stomach she felt sure she would suffocate on the gag.

Behind the orcs they everyone heard a twig crack under somethings foot, their weapons drawn the orcs turned to the forests. Lyda hoisted up into the air by her hair.

She stared in horror as Dwalin stepped forward, his hand raised, not so much as a single weapon on him.

Azog stared in disbelief, shocked to see only one of the dwarves had come for Lyda.

"Oakensheild! Where is he?"

Crying Lyda shook her head, praying that none of the other dwarves had come for her, especially Thorin. For the moment there were only three orcs but she was sure that some more would not be far away. A howl in the distance confirming her fears.

"No! No!" She begged, her voice muffled through the gag. Hearing her try to speak Azog gripped even more tightly on her hair and snarled at her. Lyda sure that parts of her hair would be ripped out at any moment. The pressure on her head unbearable.

"Oakensheild! Where is he!"

"Here!"

With no weapons to fight with all the dwarves had picked up the larges rocks they could hold comfortably in their hands. Running up behind the three orcs, the dwarves, Thorin at the front, struck them as hard at they could from behind. The large jagged stone in Thorin's hand crashing not on the nape of Azog's neck.

Blinded with pain for a moment Azog released Lyda, Thorin catching her as she fell and all the dwarves running for dear life.

Lyda did not moved, jostled roughly from side to side in Throin's arms as they ran. Her heart in her throat and her back on fire. Reaching the river, Nori and Dori holding the barrels so that they could not float away the dwarves jumped into their respective barrels. Thorin the last to push away from the river bank, placing Lyda inside his barrel and holding onto the edge as he pushed away from the side.

"Go! Go!" He yelled. All of the dwarves paddling as hard as they could.

Her legs bucking Lyda crumbled at the bottom of her barrel, shuddering and moaning in pain, her arms wrapped around herself to try and numb it. She leant her head against the side of the barrel and did her best not to be violently sick from the rocking motion of the barrel on the water.

"Lyda? Lyda are you hurt?" Thorin asked, reaching over the edge of the barrel and lifting up her face gently to look at him. A few splashes of water hitting her face as the river outside the barrel became more and more turbulent.

"I'm ok!" Lyda whispered, her skin ashen. "Are they still following us?"

Thorin looked over to the riverbed and back at Lyda. "No! We're safe!"

"Good…good!" Lyda whispered, her red curly hair almost completely strait and drenched. She did not say a word for the next several minutes, the barrels finally stopping on the edge of the river.

As soon as his feet could touch the river bed Thorin reached into the barrel and pulled Lyda out, cradling her in his arm.

"Are you alright?" He knelt down on the embankment and gently held her face in his hands. His forehead against hers. "Lyda? Did he hurt you?"

"No!" Lyda lied. "I was just frightened!"

Forcing herself to stand she cold not stop her shoulders shaking violently, every small motion sending waves of pain down her spine. The feeling so acute it felt like ice cold needles were being pushed into every nerve in her back.

"You're lying!" Thorin growled at her, one arm protectively around her waist.

"I'm fine! It's just a few bruises!" She tried to reassure him.

Still worried Thorin gently rested his hand against her lower back, Lyda howled in pain, almost dropping to her knees.

Ignoring her protests, Thorin lifted the hem of her shirt, his face turning black as thunder as he saw the bright red thick welts across her back, bruises already forming.

"Thorin! We have to leave!" Lyda insisted, she stumbled forward, only to fall in a heap in the shallow water. Crying uncontrollably, fear and pain pushing her over the edge.

"Lyda" Thorin knelt down next to her and gently pulled her into his arms. "Don't cry, it's alright! I have you".

Sobbing Lyda buried her face against his chest, ashamed at herself for crying so much.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm fine! Just put me down".

Thorin got to his feet firmly, Lyda still in his arms and shook his head. "No Mistress Baggins, not this time!"

"Thorin!" Balin suddenly hissed, a shadow falling over all of them. Looking up they saw a tall man with shoulder length dark hair standing on the ridge not far from them. An arrow strung to his bow.

Lyda inhaled sharply and Thorin held her more tightly, his arms pressing across her back. The man looked at them cautiously, his eyes on Lyda, concerned and curious.

"Is the lady alright?"

"The lady is fine!" Thorin snapped back, Lyda doing her best not to wince in pain as he held her even closer.

"She doesn't look fine!" The man replied.

Before Thorin or Dwalin could say something else Balin interrupted.

'I see you have a boat there?" He asked stepping forward in front of Thorin. The man looked down at them distrustfully, his eye occasionally wandering back to Lyda who had started to shiver both from the shock and the cold. Sensing and opportunity Balin turned to Lyda, an excessively concerned look on his face.

"The lady is hurt, we need to get her to safety!"

"And why, master dwarf, is the good lady in danger?" The man asked.

"Azog!" Lyda said quickly. "An orc named Azog is chasing me".

"Azog? Why? What have you done to anger Azog?"

"I stole something from him", Lyda bowed her head. "He took something of mine and I took it back".

"What, if I may ask did you take?" The man asked, amused at the idea that such a small little creature could steal anything from such a terrifying creature.

"I stole him!" Lyda smiled nervously up at Thorin. "Please, if you can just take us across the Lake. He won't be able to follow us if we cross the lake. But he will catch us if we stay".

Bard said nothing for a few seconds.

"We will pay you!" Balin added, worried that the boatman would leave them.

"Very well! Bard nodded. "But you'll have to hide under the deck. The master of lake town does not take kindly to enemies of King Thranduil".

"Why do you assume we are enemies?" Thorin asked angrily.

Bard raised an eyebrow. "I may be a boatman but I am no fool, I know where those barrels came from, and normally they arrive empty, not carrying dwarves".


	16. Chapter 16

Thorin did not step off the barge and onto the bank, he ran off, Lyda in his arms like a rag doll. Tossed from side to side, her bare feet swayed as he carried her before he finally let her down onto the ground. His hands instantly found their way to her face and held her tightly, his own face inches from hers.

"What did he do! What did Azog do to you!?"

"I'm fine!" Lyda replied and held his hands in hers. "I'm ok Thorin".

Thorin ran his hands over her arms and shoulders feverishly, his eyes burned with rage as she flinched, his fingertips, gentle as they were, brushing over the whelps on her back. Ignoring her protests he pulled aside the hemp of her shirt and saw injuries Azog had inflicted. All of them red, flecked with shades of bruise blue.

"Azog!" He snarled.

"Thorin, Thorin you're hurting me!" Lyda whispered, slightly frightened by the expression on his face. His grip on her neck and wrist crushing.

Thorin let go of her, apologising profusely. He pushed her red curls out of her face and tucked them behind her ears. Almost as if he expected to see several more bruises hiding behind them.

"Thorin, the bargeman!" Dwalin whispered behind him. His arms crossed he glared over at Bard.

Reluctantly Thorin got to his feet and walked up to Bard, puling a small bag of coin from his pocket and passing it to him.

"Thank you!" Thorin growled, his tone giving the impression he meant it more as an insult than an expression of gratitude.

Bard nodded and pushed the barge away from the side, a few of the dwarves helping him but most of them standing sullenly by the bank. Their eyes either on him or Lyda. She sat shivering on the ground, her knees to her chest, flickers of pain in her eyes.

"Here! For the lass! Keep her warm!" Bard shouted just before the barge moved too far from the bank. He tossed his cloak towards them, Thorin catching it. Thorin nodding his thanks, true gratitude in his eyes this time.

Walking up to Layda he draped the cloak around her, it's inside still warm from Bard. She breathed a sigh of relief and pulled it closer around herself before Thorin lifted her into his arms and stood up.

"We only have two days until Durin's day! We must reach the mountain!" He ordered, all of the dwarves followed him as he walked towards the mountain. Its mighty presence in the distance.

"Where are we going?" Ori asked. "To the mountain?"

"To Dale!" Thorin called back. "We cannot reach the mountain yet, not before Lyda has had a chance to rest!"

"Thorin, I can walk. It's too far for you to carry me!" Lyda whispered half-heartedly, shivering like a leaf.

Thorin readjusted his grip and leant his head down towards her, each of his steps a long confident stride. "I've carried far heavier things than you and for far longer Mistress Burglar!"

* * *

><p>Thorin did not speak for the following hours it took them to reach the ruins of Dale. His face set in an angry grimace. Every so often he would look down at Lyda, concerned. Lyda completely unaware, her head against his chest, she smiled contentedly at the sound of his heartbeat. Both her eyes closed, her hands curled against her chest.<p>

The air had gotten steadily colder within the last hour as the sun came closer and closer to setting. A biting cold wind from the mountain freezing her bare toes. Lyda sure she would look down at them and see they had turned to ice. Her clothes still wet she could not help but shiver, even with Thorin so close to her, half her body warmed against him and the other half so cold she could barely feel it.

"How much further Thorin?" Lyda asked, her teeth chattering together.

"Not far. Not far now!" Thorin reassured her and paused for a moment to pull Bard's cloak closer around her.

Ahead of him he could see the ruins of Dale, the outer walls crumbled. Massive pieces of the wall spread around for several metres. They reached the gate and solemnly walked past the crumpled mesh of steel which used to be the gate. Parts of it bent as though it had been turned to liquid and then made solid again.

In his arms Lyda felt Thorin's heartbeat quicken and his arm tighten around her. A sad and angry look in his eyes. The dwarves walked through the abandoned city silently, the atmosphere grim and silent. The only sound being their heavy iron boots on the ground.

Seeing what what once been a guard room nearby Thorin turned into the building, the faint wind which blew through the abandoned city instantly cut off. He walked up to the far side of the room and set Lyda down on the ground.

"Ori! Nori! Find some wood! Anything we can burn to make a fire!"

Nodding Ori and Nori did as they were told, all the of other dwarves followed them. Desperate to start a fire, everyone cold to their bones. Once everyone had left the room Thorin sat down beside Lyda and reached for the hem of her shirt.

"Let me see!"

Lyda leant forward against her knees and allowed Thorin to gently pull away her damp shirt from her back. The full extent of Azog's gift to her visible. His fingers gently caressed her back for a moment, Lyda shivered, both from the pain but also the warm sensation his touch spread through out her body. His hand trembling with rage Thorin let her shirt fall back.

"You're cold, you need to get warm!" He muttered.

"I'll be fine as soon as there is a fire!" Lyda smiled at him, her whole body shaking so much from the cold she stuttered with each word.

"We found something!" Balin shouted, he ran over and dumped a large armful of wood onto the ground near Lyda's feet. Some of it from trees and other parts clearly from broken pieces of furniture.

Thorin quickly stacked the wood and reached out to Dwalin for a flint as Dwalin walked in, his arms also full of kindling. After a few vain attempts of lighting the fire a few sparks caught, Thorin held the rags they had found on the ground in his hand, the small spark slowly growing into a tiny little flame and gently blew on it till half of the rag was on fire. Quickly be placed it among the kindling they had placed in the centre of the fire, all of them relieved as the tiny flames began to take hold and spread onto the more substantial branches and blocks of wood.

"Here! Sit closer!" Thorin picked her up and stat her down again this tim closer to the fire. Her toes so close the hair on her feet was in danger of catching fire.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the heat from it began to build, a small halo of warmth around it which only became stronger. They all huddled around the fire, shoulder to shoulder in a tight circle. Like a veil descending over everything the last light of day disappeared, the few birds in dale suddenly silent. Thorin shivered for a moment, several painful memories swirled around his head. The smell of ash in his nostrils.

Lyda looked up at him concerned, Thorin forced a smile and reached his hands out to the fire to warm them.

"It has been so long!" Dwalin muttered quietly as he gazed into the fire. Thorin nodded.

Lyda said nothing, able to feel the deep sense of sadness which radiated from all of them.

There was nothing she could say which could sway the deep feeling of sadness in their hearts at that moment. A hush over everything. She leant her head against Thorin's shoulder and wrapped her arm through his. Hoping that her presence would at the very least keep him slightly warmer.

"Lyda, can you sing a song?" Thorin asked quietly, still facing the fire. His mind a million miles away. "Sing me a song about spring in the Shire. No mountains, no fire, just spring!"

Lyda smiled sadly and nodded her head.


	17. Chapter 17

The sun had only just risen, Thorin's cloak draped over her, his arm over it. Both her hands small enough to be held in just one of his. His grip firm, he lay behind her so close she could feel his warm breath on the back of her neck. A tingle spread down her body with each breath, her who body warm and flustered.

All the dwarves were asleep. Loud snores which where only eclipsed but the occasional loud gust of wind from outside. Lyda looked down at Thorin's hand clasped over hers, the skin on his palm rough and calloused. They were so different, her hand and his. Hers like a child's, her fingers admittedly slightly short and stubby like most hobbits's, but soft. Nowhere near as strong as Thorin's, she though to herself how, if he wanted to, it would have been very easy for Thorin to crush her hands like a ripe fruit if he wanted to.

Slowly she turned around to face him, wincing slightly as her back brushed against the hard earth they lay on, the tip of Thorin's nose inches from hers.

He was sound asleep, both eyes closed, his mouth slightly open. Long heavy warm breaths against her face. Lyda let go of his hand and laid her head down next to his, his arm still across her. He looked so peaceful, no worry on his face. His brows relaxed. She reached up to his face tentatively and stroked the side of his face for a moment, his beard surprisingly soft. With a start he opened his eyes and Lyda quickly moved her hand away, embarrassed.

"Sorry!" She whispered, his blue eyes so piercing she had to look away. "I-I didn't think you would wake up!"

Thorin said nothing, instead his right arm which had been acting as a pillow for both of them curled around her and pulled Lyda towards him. The top of her head nestled beneath his chin, both arms tightly around her. Lyda felt warm, her cheeks flushed, heat radiating from both their bodies.

"I was already awake" Thorin muttered back, the sound of his deep voice hummed in his chest.

For a moment neither of them said anything, Lyda content to be held by him and Thorin more than happy to hold her in silence. Then, slowly, his hand slid towards her face and tilted her chin up towards him. His eyes fixed on hers, Lyda completely breathless. His hand moved towards her neck and lingered there, his fingers swayed over her skin slowly, the sensation sending tingles of euphoria through her body. Her face even more flushed than before. Slowly his head dipped toward her, his thin lips slightly opened, his breath low and controlled, though she could feel his heard pounding like a drum. Lyda strained her neck forward to press her own lips against his, waiting till the very last moment to close her eyes.

As his lips pressed against her's his grip on her neck tightened, his other arm pulling her so close it almost hurt, his hand gripped against her lower back. She did not open her eyes, instead she kissed him again and again, each one a little shorter than before. Feverish and impassioned.

"Thorin?" She mumbled between the kissed but his lips muffled the sound. Not that she minded but his suddenly display of emotion, especially so close to the other dwarves caught her off guard. "Thorin, what's wrong?" Another kiss, his hand behind her neck and his fingertips knotted into her hair. She could feel him shaking.

Lyda pulled away from him and held her hand against the side of his face, her fingertips across his mouth, his lips damp. His breath on her fingertips. "Thorin, what's wrong?"

He leant his forehead against hers, both brows pressed together, his usual brooding expression back.

"The mountain, Smaug". He whispered. "I thought you a burden, so many times I hoped you would loose heart and return to the shire. Now I would rather face the dragon myself a thousand times over than let you face him alone!"

He didn't look her in the eye, his expression angry, but his hands expressed any worry that was hidden in his eyes. He leant forward over her and pressed his lips agains the side of her face, his beard slightly ticklish. Thorin lingered for a moment, his breath hot on her skin before he moved down to the side of her neck, kiss by kiss he worked his way to the back of her shoulders and the start of one of the marks Azog and left beaten into her.

Lyda shivered, not from the cold (her body so warm she wondered that her clothes had not caught fire) but from the reaction his touch, especially his lips, caused in her body.

Lyda knew she should reassure him that it would be alright. If Gandalf had faith in her then surely that was as good a sign as any. But she didn't want him to stop either.

"I will be fine, Thorin!' She finally managed to mumble. "I said I would face the dragon, so I must!"


	18. Chapter 18

They had been pacing the side of the mountain for several hours, everyone silent, their eyes on the ground. Desperately searching for any sign of an entrance to the mountain. A carved rock, a staircase, a doorframe, even a key hole as unlikely as it seemed.

Thorin was never too far from her as they searched, but his eyes did not turn to watch her as often as she was used to. Every few moment he would turn to look up at the sun, the frantic expression on his face only more pronounced the closer the sun came to the horizon. His hand moved every few moments to the pocket inside his tunic. The key and the map inside.

Lyda stopped for a moment and looked up, her back gingerly against a tree. Not sure which one was the most sore, her back of her feet. As a small thrush caught her eye, it's tiny little agile body darting up and down the rock face nearby, she suddenly noticed the smoothness of the rock a little further up. The edges too flat compared to it's bumpy and aged surroundings.

"Thorin! Thorin, look!" She pointed up towards the smooth rock, all of the dwarves nearby followed her gaze. An excited murmur ran between them and they all rushed forward.

It took less than a few seconds to tear away the bushes which concealed the old stairs cut into the rock face. Thorin turned and flashed her a small smile, his eyes alive, excitement, hope and a third emotion she could not quite place. She reached out for his hand, being the last one to accent the stairs but to her surprise Thorin did not turn to help her for several minutes. His mind clearly elsewhere. It was only after a few minutes of her clearly struggling to scale the enormous steps that he remembered she was behind them.

An apologetic expression on his face he reached for her hand to help her up the step. "We're almost there!" He breathed, excited.

Lyda nodded, a forced smiled on her face. She could not shake a horrible feeling in her gut the higher they climbed. She wondered if it was the fact a fire-breathing dragon slept not too far from them inside the mountain. _No_, she thought to herself. _That's not it_.

Something about him had changed since that morning. He had been so worried and passionate. Even now she could still feel the pressure of his lips over her lips, neck and shoulders. He had held her like she was the most precious thing in the world to him, but right now she felt replaced, like an old faithful wife cast aside for a cheap faithless mistress.

_A strain of madness runs in that family_…Elrond's words from Rivendell echoed in her mind. Lyda shook her head and did her best to focus on only climbing the seemingly endless set of stairs.

Finally they reached the top of the stairs and searched around on the small plateau. Thorin the most frantic of all of them. Lyda turned and looked towards the horizon, the sun closer and closer to setting.

"Find the keyhole! Quickly!" Thorin shouted, all of them scrambled against the far wall, assuming that it was the only rock face large enough for any kind of entrance. Lyda watched them, her face turned towards the setting sun every few seconds. Her nerves on edge.

They ran their hands over the wall, fingers desperate to find a suspiciously smooth surface, a door frame, the chip of a chisel in the rock, anything! The sun had reached the edge of the horizon, slowly but surely being swallowed by the earth.

"Hurry! Hurry!" Thorin bellowed. More scrambling. The sun half submerged now, Lyda's heart pounding.

"No! No!" Thorin had taken to beating the surface of the rock with his hands, so frantic that she was sure she would hear one of his bones break at any moment

Lower, lower…gone. The last rays of light gone, the sky changed from rosy pink to a dark purple within seconds. The first few stars visible. Thorin dropped to his knees in front of the rock face. Everyone silent. Thorin's head bowed, his shoulders shaking. He slowly reached into his tunic and pulled out the key.

One by one the dwarves turned and walked back down the stairs dejected. Thorin the last to leave.

Lyda watched him, tears in her eyes. He looked so…broken. His proud shoulders dropped, head bowed. Hesitantly she walked up behind him, her hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

A restrained sob escaped him and he leant back toward him, his head against her stomach. Resigned.

"I've failed"

His eyes dazed he got to his feet and let the key drop onto the floor with a clang. Lyda did not stop him as he reached the stairs and walked down. None of them called back for her and she did not move.

Most of her felt their misery, the promise of their home returned to them, the long arduous journey all for nothing. But part of her felt relieved. The mountains effect on Thorin unnerving.

Suddenly behind her she heard a faint tat-taping. She turned and noticed a small thrush, a snail in it's mouth, strike the rock face repeatedly as it tried to crack open the snail's shell. Lyda gasped as the moonlit touched the rock and, like magic, the outline of a keyhole became visible.

"Wait! Wait!" Lyda screamed at the top of her lungs. "It's here! I found it!"

She ran up to the spot where Thorin had dropped the key and picked it up excitedly. As soon as her fingers closed around the metal her head dropped as quickly as it had risen. She had found it, the key, Thorin…

Two large hands closed around hers, Thorn's blue eyes on hers.

"I found it!" Lyda mumbled and forced a smile.

Taking the key from her Thorin walked up to the wall and slowly pushed the key into the lock. There was a faint click as he turned the key slowly followed by a slow rumble. Everyone held their breath as he raised his hands and pressed against the stone.

As smoothly as a knife through warm butter the door slid open, a neat perfectly rectangular door. Thorin's eyes lit up and walked into the mountain, his hands lovingly ran along the walls. Lyda the last to enter, she shivered the air inside warm, musty but oddly cold.

Thorin turned to look at her, his face suddenly worried. Lyda gulped.

"My turn now I guess!"


	19. Chapter 19

They had barely walked down three of the short winding tunnels than Thorin suddenly turned towards her, his hands placed on her waist and pressed her against the wall. Chest to chest, his lips planted on her. Lyda managed to push him away enough to reach up for his neck and wrap her arms around him.

She was trembling, but for once it was not because she was near him. She was afraid, afraid of the dragon, afraid for Thorin…Thorin, she was especially afraid for Thorin. Even with his lips feverishly kissing her he felt strange, distant.

"The jewell" He pulled away from her and held her face in his hand. "It's a large white jewel. You'll know it when you see it!"

Lyda nodded, her small little face worried. Her eyes large, her mouth slightly open. He reached for her face and gently wiped away her red curls from her eyes.

"Be safe…please, please be safe!" He breathed and leaned in for another kiss which Lyda accepted all too enthusiastically. She kissed him for as long as she dared before the need to breath forced her to pull away.

"I should go!"

Thorin nodded and squeezed her hands hard. "Be safe! Be safe and come back!"

And suddenly she was alone in the tunnel, the ghost of him still on her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment and held her hands to her mouth to smother a whimper of fear. Slowly she walked down the tuning, doing her best to step as quietly as she could. An irrational fear that she would turn a corner and see a large dragon in front of her, which was of course ridiculous. The tunnels where quite small even for Hobbit standards. If anything she figured that the tunnels were probably the safest place to be.

Ahead of her there was a doorway, gold light poured through it and reflected of the cold stone walls. She paused for a moment and pressed her hand into her pocket, startled as she felt the gold ring in her waistcoat pocket. Over the past few days she had completely forgotten about it. A small smile spread across her face. She might be facing a dragon but she had one distinct advantage. The dragon would not be able to see her.

* * *

><p>Thorin paced up and down outside the door, his hands behind his back, brow furrowed. The waiting was killing him. Part of him wanted to rush into the mountain and the other part urged him to be patient and give Lyda time.<p>

Dwalin and Balin watched him, everyone as nervous as he was.

"Maybe the dragon is dead?" Ori suggested.

"Maybe" Nodded, his tone flat and hopeless.

"She did manage to sing to the trolls" Nori chirped.

"Yes, before one of them nearly crushed her to dead!" Kili replied unhelpfully. "The dragon is a hundred times larger than any troll!"

"Yes, thank you Kili!" Thorin snapped, glowering at Kili. "We all know! All we can do is wait…in _silence_!"

Everyone bowed their head and did as he had asked, Thorin slowly walking over to the steps and sitting down on the edge.

The sun had fully set by now, the stars all visible, not so much as a cloud in the skye. Throin did his best to not think of Lyda in the mountain. Her tiny little frame so much smaller than the dragon. His eyes turned to the main gate and he closed his eyes. Remembering the last time he had come so close to a dragon. It's massive frame towering over him. The air hot, screaming everywhere, rubble and ruin.

"Lyda will find the arkenstone and we will march on the mountain!" Thorin whispered, his voice barely audible to the others. "Once I have the arkenstone I can command the dwarf armies and we will re-take the mount. We will have our home back!"

No sooner had he finished speaking that the ground beneath them trembled. Everyone turned ashen, Thorin leapt to his feet. There was only one creature in middle earth which could cause a mountain to shake. The dragon was _alive_!

* * *

><p>Lyda sang as she had never sang in her life. The note so high pitched and clear it reminded her of when she could run her fingertips over the edges of Bilbo's crystal glasses to make them sing.<p>

When she had first seen the dragon the wave of fear which had washed over her nearly made her fall to her knees. She had stumbled back, her feet knocking a large stack of coins which shattered down the massive pile of gold she had climbed up. With a start the massive eye in front of her had opened, and for a moment her heart stopped beating entirely. The terrible gaze of Samug looking strait through her.

It took her several seconds to realise that the large beast could not see her and was looking looking in the general direction of the sound which had awakened it. She took a shaky breath and the dragons nostrils flared, it's hot breath shaking her curls.

"I can hear you…_theif_!" It hissed.

Another loud breath of hot air, it's force nearly enough to send her toppling down the mountain of gold.

"I can smell you!"

As Smaug moved to stand the thousands of coins which he had slept under fell of him, a wave of heavy gold coins washed towards Lyda and knocked her over. Taking advantage of the noise, she ran down the hill of gold as fast as she could till she reached the fool. Relieved as her feet felt the cold hard ground beneath her feet.

Her relief was short lived, the massive beast roared down towards her, Lyda threw herself to the side just in time. A nearby stone pillar mashed to pieces. She pressed herself agains a second pillar and covered her mouth with her hands. Her breath fast and panicked.

Then she saw it. A large white gem, a light inside it as if a million stars had been captured and cadged inside it. Even her simple hobbit tastes were put aside for a brief moment, a longing inside her she did not know she possessed. The stone…she wanted it, no, she needed it!

"So beautiful!" She whispered.

The dragons head snapped around to stare at her, a cruel sneer spread up the side of it's mouth.

"You can't hide from me! I can smell you! I can smell the dwarf on you! The"- it paused for a moment to inhale-"Oakensheild! I smell Oakensheild on you!"

Lyda's hands shook. Thorin…he knew Thorin was here!

"So…the little usurper has found a thief to do his dirty work! I thought as much! Where is he? The false king? Is he outside? Waiting for his thief to bring him the Arkenstone!?"

Lyda said nothing. Her hands still over her mouth.

"And lets say you find it? What then? His armies could not stop me then! What makes him think that he could kill me now, now that _I_ am king under the mountain!?"

And in an instant all Lyda's fear was gone, replaced by seething rage. _Him? The dragon a king!? _

_"_You are not the King under the Mountain! Nor will you ever be!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, her unusually deep voice echoed across the massive hall and shook off every surface.

The dragon looked around, the echo making it almost impossible for it to pinpoint where exactly her voice came from. It inhaled angrily,

"Oh? And where is the true king then? Skulking outside like a stray dog? Maybe I should go and find him? I know the smell of dwarves, it will not be hard, perhaps I will bring his charred remains to you and"-

The sound that shattered the air pierced the dragons ears like a spear, she heard it's massive heart miss a beat, it's mouth hung open and a long drawn out hiss echoed through the cave.

"Gold! Gold it!" It whispered. The pupils of eyes expanded so much that it looked like it's glowing red eyes had been pushed to the side of a dark whirlpool.

Lyda sang, each note so high and pure it could have pierced glass.

**_"Sleep great gold serpent!_**

**_You foes are long dead. _**

**_The mountain is empty, _**

**_The halls painted red" _**

Smaug swayed from side to side, an expression on it's face akin to ecstasy, small shivers pulsated through it's large wings which dragged along the floor beside it. As she sang Lyda tiptoed back up the hill of gold and reached for the Arkenstone. Smaug did not move or even seem to care as her small footsteps sloughed through the noisy gold coins. As soon as she held the arkenstone Lyda buried it deep within her coat in the large pocket which ran just under her armpit down to the bottom of her coat. She turned to face the serpent, an angry gleam in her eyes.

She did not care that she just a mere hobbit against a creature a hundred years older than her, larger than her and, in likely hood, much smarter than her. She strode toward the dragon, suddenly noticing the chard remains of what looked like a guard on the ground not far from one of the pillars she had been hiding behind. A metal bow in its skeletal hands. A quiver of steel arrows splayed out on the ground nearby.

With a glint in her eyes she reached for it and, slowly, the tune of her song began to change.

**_"Wake now gold serpent, _**

**_a knock at the door?" _**

She reached for the bow and held it up, a long thin steel arrow in her hand. Smaug barely fourty feet away from her. It's massive head lifted the the ceiling of the hall and swaying from side to side.

**_"The gold you've been claiming_**

**_ is not any more"_**

She notched the arrow against the string and pulled back, her eyes trained down the dragons body. Searching for any soft piece of skin she could aim for. Nothing, a wall of impenetrable scales.

**_"Listen gold serpent. _**

**_A king has arrived!"_**

Then she saw it, directly above Smaug's heart a large opening where a scale had been ripped away. The soft pink skin beneath it visible even from where she stood, like a freshly picked scab. Lyda smiled, a small smirk at the corner of her lips and took aim. The nock of the arrow against her lips. She paused for a moment and kissed it, Smaug shaken from her enchantment just long enough to look down towards her, confusion on it's terrible face.

**_"Pray now dark serpent, _**

**_it's your turn to die!" _**


	20. Chapter 20

Lyda ran.

The arrow pierced the dragons hard as smoothly as a fine needle through a tick pincushion. The massive creatures heart ruptured by the firm dwarven metal. She did not attempt to continue singing, she knew there would be no point. Her voice held a great power but not the power to control such a large beast in it's death throws.

She ducked behind the nearby pillar and screamed, her hands over her ears as the fire surrounded the pillar. Her hair twisted and curled in the horrible heat, the ends crackled and frayed. A wave of fire on either side of her, protected only by the massive stone pillar. Her skin so close to being burned she swore she could smell her clothes close to setting alight.

A terrible roar ripped across the hall. Lyda sure that her ears might bleed from the sound at any moment despite her hands covering her ears. The sound so loud and powerful even the ground shook. In front of her a massive side of the mountain of gold slid towards her, the sound of the thousands of coins, goblets and jewels sliding towards her like a tsunami almost as loud as the dying dragon.

Lyda could not run anywhere, fire on either side of her, some of the gold which had been in the firing line melted to a molten metal, and the cold wave of coins washing towards her. She screamed as the coins crashed down towards her, buried under their terrible weight. She struggled and pushed for the surface, her body pressed and squeezed like dough under the treasure.

"Thorin! Thorin!"

Her hand reached the surface and she waved in a panic, praying that someone would find her. Her legs trapped under something heavy which she could not shake off. She clawed at the coins above her and pushed them aside till she had created a small hollow above her, enough to breath.

"Thorin! Thorin, please, help me!" She screamed, terrified.

Nothing, silence. She tried again to shake her leg free but a sudden burst of pain shot through her from her knee. Lyda shrieked, sure that at the very least she must had broken a bone.

Then she heard it, a faint shuffling. Her first instinct was relief. _He had come! He must have some for her! _The shuffling continued, no voices, and the horrible though occurred to her…what if the dragon was still alive.

She covered her mouth with her hands and prayed as hard as she had ever done in her life.

"Please! Please no! I killed you! You're dead!"

Then she saw him.

Clambering up the mountain of gold not far from her, his long hair fell across his face as he climbed. Thorin continually pushing out of his eyes. His mouth open he stared at the gold around him, transfixed by it's beauty.

"Thorin?" Lyda screamed happily.

He did not move.

"Where are you lassie?" Balin's voice called out.

"Here! Here!" Lyda screamed, suddenly realising that she still wore her little gold ring. Quickly his pulled it off and held it tightly in her hand just as Balin turned around the pillar corner and spotted her hand waiving frantically, half submerged under a landslide of gold.

The other dwarves joined her and quickly as they could they began to scrap away the gold around her. At first Dwalin tried to pull her out with brute force, but the pained screams from Lyda quickly warned him it would be a bad idea.

"Thorin! Come help us!" Kili yelled over at his uncle. Still he did not move.

"What's wrong with him?" Lyda asked, her voice quiet and frightened. "Did he get hurt by the dragon?"

Dwalin looked at her, a dark knowing look in his eye but said nothing. Despite the heat which still radiated through out the hall Lyda felt her blood run cold.

As soon as they were able to dig her out from under the gold Lyda saw what had caused the pain in her knee, a deep wound in the side of her knee.

"There must have been something sharp down there. Gone and hit your knee!" Dwalin muttered unhelpfully.

Ignoring the small trickle of blood which ran down her leg Lyda stumbled towards Thorin and began to climb the mountain of gold. "Thorin! What's wrong!"

For a moment she turned to look down the mountain of gold and saw the dragon splayed out on the ground bellow, the pillars around it blackened from the flames. A pool of molten gold surrounded it like hundreds of little veins of gold blood.

She reached Thorin and took his hand in hers, Thorin flinched and looked down at her. A look in his eyes which terrified her, distant and alert all in one.

"Look at it Lyda! Look at all the gold!"

Lyda's heart crumbled. In a panic she held his hands firmly and forced him to look at her. "Thorin! The dragon, it's dead…I killed it for you."

A small smirk spread from the corner of his mouth but it was not the restrained sign of happiness she was used too. An almost condescending slant to it.

"And you will be rewarded Lyda of the Shire! But first" He turned to the gold and let go of her hand. "We must find the Arkenstone!"

"What? No, Thorin, first we must send ravens to Dain! All Lyda's efforts will have been in vain if we cannot defend the mountain!"

Thorin sneered at Dwalin's suggestion and Lyda could not shake the feeling that the expression had been for his suggestion that is was solely on _her_ efforts that the mountain had been won.

"Very well!" Send the ravens!" He waved his hand dismissively and returned to digging through the gold. At the bottom of her coat pocket Lyda could feel the bulge of the Arkenstone against her leg.

Lyda knew she she should have waited, given it a bit of time before she tried to speak to him but she couldn't help him. Suddenly the trolls, the goblins and even her past fear of the dragon seemed inconsequential. Her greatest fear stood here, right in front of her.

"Thorin, please look at me!" She scrambled towards him and reached for his hand. He pulled away from her, his eyes not ever looking in her direction, still fixed on the gold. "Thorin!" She stood in front of him and pulled his face towards her. Not even thinking Thorin pushed her to the side so that he could climb further up the mountain. Lyda toppled down the hill of gold, her injured leg too weak to resist Thorin's forceful push. She yelped as the side of her face caught the sharp side of a candle stick, a deep cut across her temple, the flash of blood.

"Lyda!" Suddenly realising what he had done Thorin ran down the hill of gold towards her, the madness briefly gone. He tried to pick her up from floor gently, Lyda a crumpled pile on the floor, her hand pressed to her forehead, blood between her fingers, but she recoiled from him. Tears stinging her eyes.

She pushed herself to her feet, wobbling slightly and walked away from him. Her lower lip trembled.

"The mountain has a new dragon!" She spat angrily even as the first heartbroken tears ran down her face.


	21. Chapter 21

Lyda did not bother to stop the tears as they ran down her face like small rivers, a clean streak down her face where they fell. The old healers room was filthy, dust everywhere. All the various pots and potions enter a good inch of what she suspected was ash.

Another sob wracked her body and she pulled her knees to her check, suddenly exhausted. Sleep the only thing on her mind.

"I'll go back to sleep and when I wake up this will all have been a bad dream!" She whispered to herself.

Suddenly she wanted to run, her heart hurt so much in that moment she felt sure that a burst of flame from the dying dragon must have struck her. It certainly hurt enough for it to have been the case. But no, Smaug was not the dragon who had burned her.

"Lassie! Lassie please don't cry!" Dwalin appeared out of nowhere and sat down next to her. The large dwarf warrior leant his hand down on her shoulder and stroked her gently. Lyda just cried some more.

Neither of them spoke for several moment, Lyda sobbing her heart out on the old dwarf bed and Dwalin looking like he was not too far from crying himself. Finally Lyda wiped away her tears, the dirt streaks even more pronounced and sat up. Her eyes red, swollen and tired.

"Here. lets take care of that knee now!" Dwalin stood up and tinkered around the row of pots which lined the shelves. Eventually he pulled one out, a wax seal around the top and broke it open. Lyda was pleasantly surprised by the strong smell of peppermint. She rolled up her trouser leg and let Dwalin smear the thick cream over the deep wound on her knee. She winced and bit her teeth, the inflamed wound protesting as the cool cream smothered it.

"Lyda Baggins"- Dwalin smiled as he wrapped a bandage around her knee-"They will have to add another name to that now!" Lyda looked at him confused. "Lyda Baggins, dragonslayer".

Lyda did not laugh, she did not even smile. Instead she looked away from him, her bright red hair a tangled mess around her. A lost look in her eyes.

"Tell me what to do Dwalin".

Dwalin sighed. "I don't think there is anything you can do lassie. He…" His voice faltered for a moment "He must fight this battle on his own!"

"What if we found the Arkenstone? Would that take away the gold sickness?" Lyda asked hurriedly.

Dwalin thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No lassie, I think it would just make it worse!"

Lyda nodded, her head bowed and resigned. "Then forgive me if I do not help you search for it!"

"There is no need to forgive you mistress Baggins" Dwalin smiled and ruffled her hair fondly, a cloud of dust fell from it. "I can only thank you for the honour of traveling with the bravest being I have even met. Not many would face a dragon!"

Lyda still did not smile.

She stayed in the small room for the next several hours, the pain in her knee gradually became less acute. She stared at the doorway, praying that at any moment Thorin would walk in with one of his long confident strides and say how sorry he was. Say that he did not know that had come over him and that the moment had now passed. To hold her in his arms as he had that night in Dale.

"Please! Please she begged!" More tears ran down her face but nobody came. Eventually she was too tired to even cry. She stared at the doorway with a lost dazed expression. "He's not coming".

The next few days blurred into one horrible nightmare for Lyda. Thorin had not moved from the great hall, he paced up and down it stooped over and wild. Frantically searching for the Arkenstone which all the while had not been removed from Lyda's pocket.

The first few days she had slept away from the dwarves, her knee too difficult to walk on and praying that Thorin would come and find her. He did not. Finally she went to find him, a decision she instantly regretted.

The dwarves were spread across the great hall in a line, rummaging through the gold, everyone clearly exhausted. The smell of rotting dragon carcass overwhelming.

"Find it! We have to find it!" Thorin bellowed. His deep voice echoed across the cavern. She started at him, shocked to see how changed he looked. The stoic, quiet and kind dwarf she had grown to love over the past few months was gone. A wild-eyed, madman in his place.

He glanced over at her. "Miss Baggins! About time! We cannot sulk around when the future of my people is in the balance!"

She did not move, her wide eyes rimmed with tears even though she had told herself a hundred times over that she would not cry. "Thorin? I need to talk with you!" She called up towards him, he ignored her. Again she called him.

"Thorin!"

"THORIN!" They all turned, shocked to see Gandalf striding towards them. His long staff clinked against the coins which littered the ground. "Thorin Oakensheild, what do you think you are doing?!"

"Gandalf…"- Thorin sneered down at the old wizard. His head held high. "_Now_ you decide to join us! Now that I have taken the mountain and the treasure can be claimed!"

Gandalf scoffed loudly. "Get down from there! Dain approaches! There is an army at your gates as it is not just dwarves! You have reclaimed your homeland and now you must defend it!"

In the most condescending way possible Thorin slowly marched down the hill of gold, the large fur coat he now wore trailed behind him, dragging a little of the gold with him.

"What army?"

"Azog!"

Thorin's disbelieving expression vanished instantly. "The mountain! We must defend the mountain!"

"Well…good thing I arrived then eh?" A loud cheerful voice called out behind Gandalf. A large smile spread across Thorin's face, the warm look in his eyes that Lyda loved so much returning.

"Dain!" He marched up to the loud red-haired dwarf and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Good to see you cousin!" Dain laughed loudly. "Now what say you that we go kill some orcs?"

* * *

><p>"They're mad!" Gandalf growled angrily from the battlements. His long pipe firmly placed between his teeth and furiously puffing away. Lyda sat down on the ground not far from him, the dazed look still on her face. Her hands pressed together in her lap.<p>

"We need help! Thorin cannot win this war on his own!"

"What do you suggest he do?" Lyda asked, her tone emotionless and flat.

"The elves"-

Lyda snorted loudly. "The elves? For a wizard you can be very stupid Gandalf! Thorin would rather cut his own heart out".

Gandalf stared at her, surprised at her reply. "Lyda? Lyda, what's wrong?"

For the hundreds time that week tears filled her eyes but she did not look up at Gandalf. Her eyes gazed out across the plain in front of the gate. A large black blot on the horizon approaching them.

"Did his father fall to the dragon sickness too?" Lyda asked, her eyes still fixed ahead. Gandalf's face dropped as he realised what was causing her so much emotional distress. The pipe removed from his lips for a moment.

"No", he said finally. "Thorin's father…he was a brave man! Nobody will remember him, or sing songs about his great deeds. But without Thrain we would not have the key to the mountain, or the map, or this!" He opened his hand and Lyda saw a large rusted gold ring in his hand. The red emerald glinted in the firelight and in her pocket she felt the gold ring shudder slightly.

She looked away, uninterested. "And Thorin…can he be healed?"

"You love him, don't you?"

"Answered the damned question Gandalf!" Lyda snapped, angry as the first few tears spilled over the edge of her eyes and trickled down her face. "Can dragon sickness be cured?"

"Only he can cure himself" Gandalf replied gruffly, a little insulted at her tone. Lyda closed her eyes, another wave of tears washed down her face. Suddenly she looked so much smaller than usual, her shoulders no longer upright, stooped, her head bowed. As though every last bit of fight had left her body.

Gandalf carried on talking, trying to distract her. "He MUST ask for help! Even if he has to bribe the elves!"

"Bribe?"

"Yes! If Thorin promised Thranduil the Nauglimir necklace, then maybe, just maybe he would fight!"

"Gandalf!"

Gandalf turned at Thorin walked towards him, clad in a heavy gold armour. A large heavy sword in his hand. "Where is Lyda?"

Lyda was gone.


	22. Chapter 22

Thranduil stared down at the mud stained little half-ling woman in front of him. Obvious tear streaks through the dirt on her face, a determined gleam in her eyes.

When his scouts had warned him of the orc army closing on the mountain he had rallied his troops but held them back far enough to view the black mass which surrounded the mountain. The front gate lit up by the many torches the dwarf army had lit in front of it.

None of them had noticed her slip into the tent, even his son Legolas had not seen her until, seemingly out of nowhere she stood before him and demanded to be herd. She did not flinch as Thranduil instinctively drew his sword, surprised, the tip of his sword against her neck. Both her brown eyes fiery and determined.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Lyda Baggins of the Shire" She paused for a moment before she finished her name with an added title. "Dragonslayer".

A small mock smile spread from Thrantil's mouth but she did not falter. Her eyes as narrowed as his. He sheathed his sword and sat back.

"Well then, Lyda Baggins of the Shire…dragonslayer. What is it that you want? I assume you do want something?"

"Yes!" Lyda nodded firmly. "I want you to help the dwarves and attack Azog when the dwarves retaliate".

Thranduil burst out laughing, incredulous. "And why do you think I would do that? They are my prisoners"-

"They stopped being your prisoners when I helped them escape!"

Thranduil's face changed from shock to anger in the space of seconds. "You! It was you?"

Lyda nodded, completely unfazed by the tall elf as he stood up and towered over her.

"For such a small creature you undoubtedly have a lot of courage!"

"My uncle Bilbo always described it more as foolhardy!" Lyda muttered. "I know there is a necklace you want which is in the mountain. I can make Thorin give it to you".

Thanduil's face instantly became serious and he sat back down, observing her quietly for a few seconds. Lyda tapped her fingers against her leg impatiently.

"Look I don't mean to be rude but I'd like to try and get back to the mountain as soon as possible! You know how it is, impending battle, I'd like not to be caught on the wrong side!"

"What makes you think that you can control Thorin Oakensheild?"  
>"Control?" Lyda scoffed, angry. "If only I could"- she cleared her throat before she began to rant. Her tears given way to anger. "No, I can't control him, but I can force his hand".<p>

"How?"

"With his heart!" Lyda reached into her coat and pulled out the Arkestone, her fingers clenched around it so tightly she looked as though she was trying to crush it between her fingers.

Even the elves by the entrance to Thranduil's tent could not help but stare in wonder at the beautiful gem in Lyda's hand. The blue glow which surrounded it illuminating Lyda's small little fingers.

"How"-

"How is not the question" Lyda snapped. "The question is, will you give me your word as the King of Mirkwood that you will fight to defend the mountain against Azog?"

Thranduil narrowed his eyes at her. "What makes you think that I won't just take it?" He threatened, her brazen confidence begging to irritate him.

Lyda smirked at him, the expression entirely alien to her face. "Three reasons: I know that you have no interest in this stone. Fine, it's pretty, but it's the necklace" as the mention of the necklace Thranduil stiffened. "that you want. You can use this to barter for it. Secondly Erebor is on your doorstops, fine the dwarves are not the friendliest of neighbours, but I can promise that having orcs for neighbours will be downright disagreeable".

"And thirdly?" Legolas asked, an amused smile on his face.

"And thirdly I can sing my way out of here and you would let me!"

Both father and son raised their eyebrows at her. "What?"

Lyda did not bother to reply, instead she closed her eyes and sang the same song she had sung to Smaug. Except this time her voice did not shake, she was not afraid. She was angry, her tone low and deep. A slight snarl at the end of the words.

This time she was not singing to a dragon, she was not even singing to the elves. She sang with Thorin at the front of her mind. Angry, ready to strike him as hard as she could it it would only shake the horrible maddened look from his eyes for even a second.

Nobody could move. Even Thranduil. They stared, transfixed until finally she stopped singing.

"A Syrn!" Thranduil exclaimed. "I never though I would hear one again!"

Lyda was very nearly tempted to ask what he meant by 'again' but resisted.

"Do we have a deal?"

Thranduil hesitated a little longer before he finally nodded and reached out for the stone which Lyda instantly passed him, She rubbed her hands against the side of her cloak, and threw one final disgusted glance at the stone.

"You are not taken by it's beauty?" Thranduil asked her, her reaction to the stone shocking him.

Lyda snorted and shook her head. "I am not like the dwarves. Fine I like gold as much as the next hobbit, who doesn't. But it doesn't change me. That…that thing. It changes people! And not for the better! I wish the dragon had swallowed the whole damned treasure when he took the mountain. Would have been better for everyone".


	23. Chapter 23

"Lyda? Where have you been?" Gandalf asked as he saw her standing by the battlements.

"Nowhere Gandalf. I was just wandering the city for a while. It really is beautiful!" She replied, her voice completely flat. Not even bothering to sound convincing. Gandalf raised an eyebrow, the second eyebrow followed when Gandalf noticed that her limp had gotten worse. Her boots covered in a red mud which was not from the mountain.

"Lyda? Where were you?"

Lyda looked at him, "You first? Where were you? You said you meet us in the mountain!"

"I was delayed!" Gandalf mumbled, the pipe quickly finding it's way back to his mouth, followed by several quick puffs. Lyda shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Of course you were".

"Now see here Miss Baggins!" Gandalf began but Lyda cut him off.

"No ,you see! I trusted you! You asked me to come and I did! I did everything you asked and more! But when you had to be here you were gone! If you had just been here then Thorin…"Here voice faltered. "Thorin would not have gone mad! I-we would still have our king!"

Before Gandalf could reply they heard a loud trumpet sound. Lyda turned and felt her heart drop as she saw a small convoy of elves approach the gate. _Thranduil! _

_"No!" _Lyda whispered under her breath.

Suddenly Thorin was next to her, Dain with him. Every Dwarf which had been in the mountain suddenly crammed behind them. Lyda would not have been able to hide even if she wanted to. Pressed up against the battlement, a dwarf at every side.

"Hail! King Under The Mountain!" Thranduil called out clearly from bellow.

Lyda shook her head horrified. _Why had he dared to pass the orc army? Was he that damned confident that he though he could just prance past them on his ridiculous deer? _

_"_I bring good news!" Thranduil purred, his soft voice able to carry over the rocky ground far too easily to be normal. "I have considered your offer and accepted! I will lead my armies to defend the mountain against Azog!"

Lyda's eyes were fixed on Thorin, her heart in her mouth and a cold sweat all over her body. He looked surprised at first, then confused before finally, he looked angry.

"Offer?! What offer! I have no dealings with elves!"

Thranduil smirked and reached into his coat. Lyda's heard dropped. She already knew how this part of the game would end.

Everyone gasped as Thranduil held up the Arkensrone in his hand. Even from so far away it was unmistakable.

"Thief! Thief!" Thorin bellowed. His face red with anger. "How came you by this? Are the elves in the habit of stealing now as much as they are cowards?"

Thranduil laughed mockingly. "_I_ am not the thief! I presumed that you knew of the bargain she struck? Besides, it is done now. I will fight in your war this one time King Under The Mountain, and after the battle I will return your stone when you return the necklace".

She watched as Gandalf quickly scrambled over the battlements after Thranduil. The old wizard surprisingly nimble, he ran after Thranduil

Lyda's hand gripped the stone wall like a vice. She could feet Thorin's eyes on her along with every other dwarf on the battlement but she could not bring herself to face them. She watched Thranduil's convoy turn and stride away back to their camp.

"Lyda?" Thorin's voice was low, so low it was more than a growl. His teeth pressed together.

She turned to look at him, for the first time in her life afraid of him and afraid of what he might do to her. Murder in his eyes. She did not wait for him to ask.

"I took it to him and made him agree to protect the mountain. We cannot defeat Azog on our own".

"Who do you think you are lassie!?" Dane asked, incredulous.

Lyda held her head up angrily. "I am Lyda Baggins of the Shire, Dragonslayer! And I took the Arkenstone as my share of the treasure as stated in the contract we all signed at the beginning of this journey!"

Suddenly Thorin's hands were around her neck. Lyda gasped in shock, her hands clawing at his wrists but she was not strong enough to push his hands away. The dwarves around them tried to pull him away from her but none of them could. Lyda gasping like a fish.

"Thorin? Thorin!?" She begged. He said nothing, his eyes wild and angry, Lyda reminded in that moment of how Azog had looked at them outside the goblins caves. The same hatred, except this time it was Thorin's eyes, and he hated her.

The last bit of fight left her as a tear ran down her face. She let her hands drop resigned down to her sides. Her eyes dazed and lost. He loosened his grip for a second.

"How dare you! I should have you thrown over the battlements!"

"Why don't you?" Lyda asked quietly. He shared at her, shocked at her apathy. "Any don't you Thror, throw me off the battlements and return to your gold. You said you were not like him, prove it!"

She looked him dead in the eyes, for a brief moment the softness she loved so much in his eyes came back. But then, like the jaws of a dragon closing down on it's prey the softness disappeared, replaced by a glare sharp as steel. For a moment she considered kissing him, realising that in all likelihood it would very well be the last time his lips would press agains't hers. But she could not do it, she did not want this terrible version of him to be the last one she remembered of him. She wanted the Thorin who had held her in the ruins of Dale. His arms around her, nothing but love and devotion in his eyes mingled with the fear for her safety.

Lyda gasped she felt him lift her up and toss her over the side of the battlements. She clawed at his hands instinctively but did not fight as he threw her over the edge even as the other dwarves tried to stop him.

"I love you Thorin!" She whispered.

Thorin let go.


	24. Chapter 24

Lyda had not let any of them find her, even before she had hit the water she had slipped the ring over her finger and vanished. Gandalf had ran back from Thranduil's convoy and scrambled along the edges of the mote at the foot of the battlements but he had not seen Lyda. She had simply hit the water and vanished.

Thorin had watched from above the battlements, his face flitted from horrified to angry, ignoring Gandalf's pleas to find Lyda he turned back into the mountain. All the dwarves followed except for the company which all scrambled down to the moat.

Lyda shivered not far from the, completely invisible. She watched as they looked for her, Kili and Fili even dived in and searched along the bottom of the moat for her. The ring remained firmly on her finger even as they called out her name.

"Lyda?! Lyda Where are you!"

No tears ran down her face as she walked silently away, her bare feet freezing and wet. She did not want to be seen or found. Nobody noticed the small puddle of footprints which climbed out of the moat towards the ruins of Dale.

One of the dwarves had forgotten their coat in the small room they had stayed in only a few nights before. A quick sniff at the sleeve quickly confirmed that it was Bombur's, the smell of food in every thread. She had still not taken off the ring even though nobody was around to see her.

"Tomorrow Baggins you will go home. There is nothing for you hear. You're going to forget about his, you're going to forget about…all of it. Forget it and stick to helping Uncle Bilbo's flowers grow! You're not going to want to travel again, or leave the shire. He has his mountain and his gold"

Even as she repeated the words to herself she could not help the tears which rebelled against her hard expression she forced her face to take. No matter how much she repeated the words her heart could not echo their sentiment. She stared at the ground she had lain on with Thorin only a few nights ago and replayed the image of his face in her mind again and again.

Curled into the corner of the room Lyda shivered, her feet tucked beneath her. She was freezing, her lips blue. Even her tears felt cold. Closing her eyes she pulled Bombur's massive coat over her head and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

><p>Had it not been for the loud howl of Azog's wolf as he stepped down from the beast Lyda would have been dead within a few seconds. Horrified she noticed that the ring had slipped from her finger in her sleep, she grabbed it and pulled it over her finger just as the massive white orc walked into the room. His nostril's flared, sure that he was able to smell something alive in the room. But upon further inspection he noticed that the room was completely empty, an abandoned cloak on the floor.<p>

He walked up to it and held it up in his hands, disgusted.

"The dwarves!" He hissed.

"When will we attack the mountain?" A smaller orc asked behind him.

"Now! Order the second legion to cut around behind Oakensheild, the orc who forces Oakensheild to me will be rewarded!"

Lyda's heart jumped into her throat. _A second legion! The dwarves…they did not know! _

Her panic was subdued slightly as she realised that the orcs did not know that Thranduil would be joining to fight. She got to her feet and followed Azog out side. Waling as carefully as she could and avoiding all the wargs. They might be abel to see her but she was certain the wargs could smell her.

As the large army marched out from the ruins of Dale, Lyda followed behind them.

* * *

><p>Thorin stumble down onto the gold floor, his whole body trembled violently. <em>Lyda! What had he done! <em>Screaming he tossed the gold crown on his head as far as he could, it clattered loudly on the floor.

"Lyda!"

The past few days felt as though he had been trapped in some kind of horrible fog. He remembered the glint of gold everywhere, the overwhelming need to be around it. Traces of Lyda's pleas echoed through the nightmare, distance and pleading. But now, oh dear Durin! Now he remembered the feeling of her soft neck between his fingers, her pained gasps for air. Her hands clawing at his wrists, begging him to let her go.

As he ran from the hall and out onto the battlements the rest of the company glared at him. Furious, even Fili and Kili.

"She was our friend! She"- Kili shouted at him but Thorin cut him off.

"Lyda! Where is she?"

"We could not find her!' Gandalf shouted at him. The tall wizard quite menacing all of a sudden.

"What do you mean you could not find her?"

"I mean she fell into the water and she never came up again!"

Thorin ran to the edge of the battlement and looked over, horrified, his heart in his mouth. Then he saw it, a trail of tiny little footprints which lead away from the moat.

"She's alive!" He breathed a sigh of relief. The others piled next to him and Thorin pointed at the footprints. "She's alive!"

There was the loud thunder of drums, all of them looked up and saw Azog's army move forward. To their right the massive elf army swept down the side of the mountain, ready to meet the orcs in the battlefield in front of the gate.

"Looks like the battle is now cousin!" Dane muttered behind him. "You'll have to find the half-ling later!"

Lyda waited on top of the hill and prayed that her plan would work. There was no point trying to sing on the mountain side, the wind too loud for her to sing over. But in the old tower on top of the hill the second legion was supposed to pass there was a loud horn. It had not been difficult of her to undo the base enough for her to be able to sing into it. Her voice clear and loud, magnified half way down the mountain.

She sat and waited, cold and more than a little terrified. From further down the mountain she heard a might roar and leapt to her feet. Her heart jumped into her mouth as she saw Thorin lead the charge into the orcs. Azog barely more than forty feet away from him. The large white orc instantly visible.

"Oh no! Please no!" In that moment all her anger towards Thorin vanished, ready to leap into battle beside him. _Help, she had to help him! _

Almost as if they head heard her prayer Lyda felt the ground shake and saw the second legion rise up onto the hill beside her. Her eyes narrowed and she pressed her mouth against the adjusted horn.

"For my king!" She muttered right before she closed her eyes and sang as loudly as she could.


	25. Chapter 25

Azog stared horrified as the Legion raced down the hill towards him, a tiny little figure held above them. It was almost been too easy for Lyda. As easily as picking a daisy the trolls in the legion had ripped the horn from the tower and held it on top of their shoulders as they marched down the hill. Lyda no longer restricted by the tower.

As the legion, now her legion, marched down the hill she smiled, relieved. The elves had attacked and were driving the orcs back towards the hill she was not marching down. Azog would be pinned between three armies. There was nowhere for him to escape.

A the same moment that Azog noticed Lyda. He stared, shocked then relieved. "Lyda!"

They could all hear her voice now, high pitched but soft, tone which washed over everything like a soothing wave. Except this time only the orcs could hear it. The closer she came the more orcs fell under her spell, some of them immobile, others turning on the orcs which surrounded them.

A smile spread across his face as Thorin lead the dwarf army toward Lyda. "Lyda! Lyda!"

If she heard him she did not look, her eyes still closed she continued to sing. Somehow able to feel everything around her even with her eyes closed.

Thorin raised his sword higher and cleaved his way through the stunned orcs in front of him, desperate to reach Lyda. Azog had the same idea, the orcs around him failing, desperately trying to block the melodic sound of Lyda's voice, the few who could resist her clutched at their ears screaming. Azog one of the few who seemed unaffected.

Azog reached her first. Rushing up to the troll which carried both her and the horn he dragged his blade across the unfortunate creatures stomach. Lyda screamed as the creature toppled forward and she was thrown from its shoulder onto the floor. It took several seconds for the enchanted orcs to regain control of their senses. Dazed and disoriented they stumbled around, Lyda able to take advantage of the situation and relieve several of them of their weapons.

_The dwarves! She had to get to the dwarves! _

Lyda ran as hard as she could past the orcs. Fear clouding her judgment it did not occur to her to slip on the tiny little gold ring safely tucked away in the pocket.

"Lyda? Lyda!"

Her heart leapt as she heard her name called. "Thorin!"

She kept running towards the sound, Azogs terrible roars behind her closer and closer. Ahead of her the ranks of orcs parted for a moment and she saw Thorin in front of her, his face covered with filthy orc blood, but his eyes, his eyes were clear, warm and they were fixed on her.

Lyda screamed as something pierced her leg and she fell in a huddle onto the floor. Azog's mace thrown into the back of her leg. She crawled forward, her right leg limp, the bone undoubtedly broken. A large hand gripped her foot and dragged her back, screaming she turned, a orc dagger in her hand and drove it down into Azog's wrist. Screaming Azog let go of her, Lyda frantically drawled away, several orcs nearly stepping on her. A second hand grabbed her by her wrist and dragged her out from under the orc feet.

Suddenly she was in Thorin's arms again. His eyes fixed on her lovingly, both arms wrapped around her as though he would never let go.

"Thorin?"

Bellowing like a bull Azog charged towards them, the depleted orc army no longer under the control of Lyda's voice. Thorin barely had time to turn and pass Lyda to Gandalf than he was fighting Azog face to face. The orc enraged. Fire in his eyes.

"Gandalf! No! You have to go back! You have to help him!"

"I have to get you to safety Lyda Baggins! Thorin will never forgive me if you get hurt!"

Lyda pushed herself out of his arm and fell to the floor. She whimpered in pain as her leg hit the flood but would not allow him to pick her back up. As he tried to pick her up again she grabbed hold of his collar firmly. "Gandalf! If he dies I will never forgive you! Leave me! I'll be fine!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Gandalf argued will her.

Exasperated Lyda reached into her waistcoat pocked and in a flash she had gone. Gandalf stared, his disbelief quickly replaced by a horrified realisation. _The ring! She had found the ring!_

"I will be fine!" Her voice called out to him. "Help him!"

Gandalf nodded and turned towards the battle. Lyda watched, her hands pressed agains her mouth. Half inclined to rush in after him even though she knew she would be about as useful as a blunt sword.

"Please! Please be safe!" She begged.

She could still feel the warmth of his touch around her, his firm grip around her wrist as he had dragged her out of the mud. Still too close to the battle for comfort Lyda dragged herself towards the mountain, barely dodging a small convoy of dwarves as they rushed from the mountain to the battlefield. Her hands, knees and front covered in the wet mud as she dragged herself all the while muttering her prayer for Thorin.

"Please! Please come back to me!"

Finally she reached the mountain and managed to pull herself through the front gate which had been unblocked by Dain's dwarves. It took her another fifteen minutes till she was able to drag herself up to the battlements.

Just as she reached the edge and was able to look out to the battlefield she heard a loud cry rip down towards her. She strained her neck but was not able to see anything other than a frantic shuffle.

"Please! Please!"

Like a wave the orc army turned and ran, the elves following them. More and more of them fell, the elves on their tails, cutting them down even as the orc ran.

The dwarves though were not moving. Lyda's heart along with them. Then slowly, like a funeral procession they turned towards the mountain. Held up above his kin, Dane holding the bulk of his weigh Thorin lay motionless. His eyes closed, his long hair drenched in orc blood. A deep red stain spread across his chest.

Lyda's heart didn't drop. It shattered.

* * *

><p><em><strong>P.S. It's not over yet!<strong>_


	26. Chapter 26

Bilbo stared at his niece as she walked through the door at Bag End. Her face skinny and drawn. It had been fifteen months since she had disappeared without a trace and now, fifteen months later she stood before him silently. A tall female elf behind her dressed in green with long red hair who looked bedraggled as Lyda.

Her gentle round face had changed so much, the warmth in her eyes gone. Even her red hair, now long enough for the ends to brush against her shoulder seemed to have lost it's zest for life. The curls almost gone, reduced to a half-hearted wave. As she walked in he noticed a faint limp in her walk, she leant against the walls of the hobbit-hole as she walked towards him. Bilbo shocked, he stared at her. Not sure if what he was seeing was a ghost or not.

"Hello uncle?" She smiled, a faint half-hearted ghost of a smile.

"Lyda! Where the devil have you been!?"

Lyda's face dropped but she forced herself to speak. Aware that she owed her uncle an explanation, or at the very least an apology. She had gone over this meeting again and again in her head over the past few weeks, bracing herself. But now that she was here the memories attached to the house overwhelmed her. She reached for the wall to lean against it and clenched her fists together. Determined not to crumble in front of her uncle.

"Gandalf, he came a few months ago, him and his… his friends needed my help".

Bilbo noticed that the dark circles around her eyes had been joined by hollows which looked permanent. The skin around her eyes red, though there was no evidence to suggest that she had cried that day. The whites of her eyes clear. Both her brown eyes sad despite the forced stoic expression.

"Gandalf! That meddling wizard! And what were you thinking leaving Bag End the way you did! Mud trodden into the carpet, the pantry was pillaged and let's not go into the state of the bathroom! You all but destroyed the plumbing!"

Lyda looked at him blankly. Her mind clearly a million miles away, she looked past him to the small room the dwarves had eaten in fifteen months previously. For a moment her eyes welled up with tears and she felt the ghost of Thorin's warm embrace around her. She quickly cleared her throat and looked back at Bilbo.

"Sorry uncle. I should have cleaned it before we left". She was quiet for a moment. "Is Mister Took still selling that old house of his? The one out in the forrest with the tall ceilings?" She asked quietly.

"What? Why yes, he is. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I just thought I'd go talk to him about it". She turned to leave, the limp in her walk now horribly clear. As she was about to walk out of the door she suddenly noticed a small silver piece siting on the windowsill by the door. She recognised it instantly as one of the elaborate chain mail plaques which Thorin had worn over his tunics. A red blue strands of his upper tunic still caught on the back.

A sound escaped her lips which was a strange mixture of a cry and a wail. Her legs buckled beneath her and she fell sobbing to the ground. A broken wreck.

Before Bilbo could reach her Tauril stooped into the hobbit hole and crouched down next to her. Her long slender arms wrapped around the little hobbit. Her own tears quick to join Lyda.

"Shush! I thought we agreed we would not cry today!?" Tauriel whispered. Lyda in her arms.

Lyda did not reply, both of them crying as silently as they could in Bilbo's doorway. Bilbo completely unsure what to do.

"I'm sorry uncle!" Lyda muttered, and slowly got to her feet. Tauriels hand in her's for support, desperate to leave before the pain in her chest reached the point of agony. "I'm just tired. I need to leave!" Without asking for his permission she reached up and took the piece of Thorin's chain mail, clutching it as hard as she could.

"Wait? Don't you want something to eat? A drink at least?"

Lyda shook her head. "Thank you uncle but I think I'll be going".

Without another word she turned and left the little house under the hill.

* * *

><p>Bilbo had tried to explain to the other hobbits that he had tried to talk to Lyda about her 'adventures' but that she had remained tight lipped on the subject. She had bought old man Took's house far out on the outskirts of the shire the same day she had returned to the shire. Though Took would not clarify how much he had been paid Bilbo had no doubt that he had been paid handsomely. More than certain that the large gold coin he wore around his neck had been part of the transaction, old Man Took complaining every now and then that the coin smelled of trolls. Lyda and the red-haired elf had become akin to local legends in the shire, hardly ever seen in public but always talked about.<p>

"It's not respectable!" Bagelia Baggins would often quip. "For a young hobbit of marriageable age to live so far out into the forest! And who's that strange elf she lives with! I swear, last time I tried to visit her I saw her and the elf outside sitting in the sun and you know what she did?"

Bilbo shook his head, tired of Bagelia's annoying high pitched voice. "The saw me coming, went inside and locked the door! I sawer that niece of yours needs a good talking too!"

"All she needs is for you to leave her alone!" Bilbo snapped. "I don't know that happened to here while she was away but the hobbit which came back was not the same Lyda I knew. She heartbroken and I don't know why, the elf too!"

"That sounds about right!" A hobbit from the far side of the pub chirped in. "I made my regular delivery of eggs a few days ago and I spotted her bawling her eyes out in front of the house. She'd done a drawing of some handsome looking fella on her sketchbook".

"Me too! I do the meat deliveries to her house, she paid me and dropped some silver looking thing on the floor. I swear she picked it up like she'd dropped a baby!"

'Well, I don't know why she can't just come to the market like everyone else!" Bagelia scoffed.

"I don't mind!" The hobbit who had been speaking laughed. "She pays me more than enough for it!"

"So, she goes off on some grand adventure, earns a few coins and thinks she's above us all does she?"

"No!" Again Bilbo felt obliged to jump to the defence of his niece. "She want's to be left alone! There's a difference!"

They were all so busy arguing not of them noticed the blue-eyed dwarf which stepped into the pub, a small bag slung over his back, dressed in a long dark blue tunic and a thick fur tripped coat...

* * *

><p>"It was better today!" Tauriel smiled weakly and picked at the food Lyda had prepared. "I did not cry. I nearly did, but I found the river helps. I like the river, it's not like the river's in Mirkwood. The water is clear and clean. I might make a boat, we should go fishing!"<p>

Lyda smiled back, her own smile just as weak.

"I take it you failed the challenge then?" Tauriel asked in a quiet tone. Lyda nodded.

"Yes, twice. I thought that if I lived here I could make new memories, but I keep seeing him everywhere I turn! This morning I was pulling up some of the carrots for supper, and I thought I heard him chuckle. It was just the trees".

Lyda looked into her bowl of soup, hoping that her now long hair would hide the tear which ran down her face.

"Three times then!" She finally admitted, and rubbed firmly at her eyes. Tauriel stood up as best she and sat down next to her. Her arm around the small hobbit comfortingly.

"You did better than yesterday though!"

"I don't think that counts" Lyda laughed a little. "Crying all day still only counts as one!"

Lyda did not move for several minutes. Immensely grateful that Tauriel was with her. In fact if it had not been for Tauriel she was sure she would not have been able to stand the silent memories at every corner.

As soon as she had seen Thorin's body carried through the gates Lyda had left the mountain. Overwhelmed with a desperate need to return home and escape the pain in her heart. It had not worked, the pain had only followed her to the Shire and continued to fester in her heart.

For a few days she had stayed in Dale, drifting in and out of a horrible sleep till she had seen Tauriel wander through Dale. The same lost heartbroken look in her eyes, a small blue runestone clutched in her hand.

They had barely spoken, least of all about Kili and Thorin but somehow they ended up agreeing that Tauriel would come and live with her in the Shire. In the several weeks that followed Lyda was immensely grateful for her company, a sentiment that the red-haired elf shared. Though she was sure that the poor elf was starting to have very serious back complaints after living with her in the Hobbit house for so long.

"I was thinking of having Old Man Took build an addition to the house? Maybe an extension into the large oak outside?" Lyda said quietly. "I think there's a permanent dent over the doorframe from your head!" She chuckled.

"I'd like that!" Tauriel smiled, the smile genuine.


	27. Chapter 27

Lyda lay in the meadow, her eyes closed. The birds above her chirping away happily. So far today she had been good and for the first time since she had left the lonely mountain Lyda felt like she might finally manage to go a day without crying.

She closed her eyes and began to hum quietly to herself, suddenly realising that it was the first time she had even attempted to sing since the Battle of the Five Armies.

_Sleep in the meadow, _

_Springtime is here? _

_Where your tears fell, _

_now flowers appear! _

Tauriel was happy. Old Man Took had arrived that morning with a supply of wood and several of his farm hands. Of course she had not been willing to let him built what was to become her house, determined that, even though she might be an elf living among Hobbits, she had had more than enough of Hobbit architecture. "Besides" she had said the night before. "I like building. I like creating things, I think it will help!"

_Flowers of silver,_

_Flowers of gold,_

_Flowers of red._

_Like my sorrows of old._

Lyda reached into her pocket out of hobbit and ran her fingers over the silver chain-mail plaque, her voice instantly warbled for a moment. The beginning of a sob at the back of her throat. She closed her eyes even tighter, but did not put the plaque back in her pocket.

_Sing to me flowers,_

_Cover my pain._

_I've wandered so long,_

_Nothing remains._

The first trickle of a tear ran down the side of her face quickly followed by several more. This time she did not resist them, resigned to the fact that once again, Tauriel would beat her.

_My heart is in pieces,_

_Broken like glass,_

_Tell me gold king,_

_When will it pass?_

_Please my dear Thorin,_

_my king come back!_

_Please my dear Tho-_

Lyda screamed as a pair of lips suddenly pressed themselves down on her own lip. Opening her eyes she struck the shadowy figure above her as hard as she could. A low grunt as her fist hit the figure squarely on the side of his face. She scrambled to her feet and turned to face her 'attacker'. The knife she now kept in her boot out of habit in her hand, ready to fight at a moment's notice.

"Get away from me you"- Lyda's legs gave way as she saw Thorin's blue eyes looking back at her.

Thorin stared at her, unsure of how she would react now that she had seen his face. In hind sight kissing her while she had her eyes closed when she thought she was alone had probably not been the best of ideas. But after so many weeks on the road looking forward to this one moment when he had seen her all common sense had disappeared, replaced by a need to hold her in his arms again.

"Lyda!" He smiled nervously, his voice deep and rumbling.

He looked terrible, he knew that. When he had arrived at the Hobbit pub his plan had been to wait there for a day at least before he went to see Lyda. But after overhearing the Hobbits talk about Lyda and her now infamous heartbreak he had been unable to do anything else than search for her.

He had gone to Bag End at first, the house empty, so he had waited till Bilbo had returned half drunk from the pub and asked (rather frantically) if he knew where Lyda was. After a several minutes of crude half slurred directions he had walked towards what Bilbo had insisted what the forest, only to discover that in his drunken state Bilbo had pointed to 'his other left'.

Not that it had helped, once he came to the forest the path had all but vanished. The route so unused it had become nothing more than a glorified animal trail. As he wandered the forest, he smiled as he remembered how lost he had become the last time he had come to the shire.

It was Tauriel who had found him, tired and very cold wandering the forest a good mile from their house, her bow drawn, hunting for breakfast. Despite her initial shock she quickly pulled herself together and pointed him in the direction of the house and the meadow that Lyda always sat in for most of the early morning.

"Fili?" She had asked, hopeful that by what ever miracle had brought Thorin back from the brink of death might have spared him too. Thorin shook his head. "No!" There were tears in his eyes too as he walked away.

Lyda had not moved, frozen like a statue. Even the birds seemed to be frozen in shock at the sight of him. "Lyda? It's me, Thorin!" She did not cry, or scream or smile.

Instead she turned to her side and promptly threw up from shock.


	28. Chapter 28

"You're dead! You were dead!" Lyda screamed at him. "I saw you! They carried you into the city, the blood…" Thorin watched her, worried. She had begun to shake so violently her hands shook like leaves in the wind. "Stop doing this to me! You're dead! Stop haunting me!"

She stumbled to her feet and stepped away from him, Thorin followed her slowly.

"I was injured, even Dain thought I was going to die, but Gandalf"-

"No! No I'm seeing things again! If Gandalf had healed you you would be in the mountain! Leading your people! You would not be here!"

Thorin shook his head. "No, I passed the throne on to Fili, after Kili"- Thorin's voice wavered for a moment -"Kili saved my life. I could not stay in the mountain any more. Not after the battle, not after you!"

Lyda stepped back some more. "No, no I'm going mad! I knew this would happen, I'm going mad!"

She turned and ran as fast as she could through the forest, Thorin, tired from his night of wandering the woods unable to keep up with her. He reached the house just as she ran in and tried to bolt the door. Rushing up to her he slammed his foot in the doorway just as she tried to close the door on him.

"Lyda! Lyda stop this!" He pushed back a little too hard. Lyda's bad leg unable to withstand his strength. She fell back with a loud cry onto the floor.

He walked into the house after her, Lyda held her dagger in front of her, wide eyed, her back against the wall.

"I will kill you if you come any closer!" She screamed. "You're dead!"

Thorin looked at her from the doorway, shocked at how much she had changed. Even on their long journey she had still maintained her round hobbit like apperence. The hobbit infront of him was so different to the image he kept of her in his mind. Her smile was gone, her face drawn and tired, permanant circles around her eyes. Her clothes were loose and bagy over her frighteningly skinny frame, her collarbones jutting out under her loose tunic. Thorin looked around the little house and noted how little food there seemed to be.

His eyes fell upon the table and he noticed several drawings strewn across it, some of him and some of Kili. He set his bag down on the ground and slowly closed the door. Lyda still held the dagger, her heart beating so madly her whole chest shook with each beat.

"A ghost can't bleed can it?" He asked and knelt down on the ground in front of her, the palm of his hand outstretched to the tip of her blade. "I love you Lyda!"

For a few moments she didn't move and just stared at him, the tiniest flicker of hope in her eyes. In one quick motion she flicked the tip of her dagger across Thorin's fingertip. He winced slightly as she cut the skin, several drops of blood on the floor.

Lyda gasped as though she had been stabbed, the dagger clattered to the ground. Suddenly she was in his arm, her lips pressed against his frantically again and again, sobbing like a child.

"Thorin! Thorin!"

Even if there had been someone to see them Thorin would not have held back the tears, they rolled down his face, unashamed. He held Lyda in his arms as tightly as he could without injuring her.

"I love you Lyda Baggins!"

Lyda did not even hear him, the pounding in her head overwhelmed any other sense other than touch. She kissed him again and again, first his lips, his hands, then his lips again.

"You're alive!"

Thorin sank down on the ground and held her in his arms like he had in Dale. Lyda surrounded by his strong arms, the smell of this clothes instantly bringing back a wash of memories.

She looked up at his face, his blue eyes on hers and for the first time in several months the warmth returned to her own eyes. She reached up and held his face in her hands, she ran her fingers over every part of his face, his beard, his nose his lips. _He was here, her king was here! _

_"_Why did you…why are you hear?" Thorin looked as her, shocked that she would ask such a question.

"I'm here because I love you Lyda Baggins! You followed to the ends of middle earth to fight a dragon, and I found the greatest treasure in middle earth is in the shire". He reached into his pocked and pulled out a ring. Lyda did her best not to throw up from shock again.

Helping her stand up Thorin knelt down in front of her, his head bowed and, though he would not admit it, more than a little frightened.

"Will you, Lyda Baggins of the Shire, Dragonslayer" A large smile spread across Lyda's face even as the tears of joy ran down them. "Marry me?"

Lyda tried to find the words to speak but found she could not stop sobbing. Nervous Thorin continued his speech.

"I know I hurt you, I let the gold sickness take me and I hurt you. Lyda, if could go back I would do anything to undo the hurt I caused you! I can't give you a mountain, or a throne like I would have before. But I can promise I will love you till my last dying breath! And if you don't want me any more"-

Lyda kissed him harder than she ever had in her life, her breath hot and feverish. "Of course I want you stupid dwarf! I've wanted you every day since the Trolls!"

Thorin gasped, relieved and kissed her, then again, and again. First her lips, then her neck, his hand slid around her neck and he kissed it repeatedly. "I'm sorry I hurt you!" He whispered, each kiss on her neck sending shivered of exactly through her body. She did not move as he pushed away her hair and kissed his way to her shoulders. The welts on her back from Azog's beating now permanent scars.

She felt warm, safe, and above all the dull throbbing in her chest had gone, her heart bursting with joy.

* * *

><p>Bagelia Baggins stared as Lyda ran past her despite her obvious limp, the smile of her face so large is threatened to swallow her face. A handsome dwarf ran along side her, his hand in hers.<p>

"Hey! Watch where you're going young lady!" Bagelia snapped, nearly dropping her flowers on the floor. Lyda just laughed and carried on running. Her face shone with happiness.

Reaching Old Man Tooks house she burst inside without knocking. Bilbo and several other hobbits inside jumping with fright.

"Bilbo! You're here! I'm so happy!" Lyda jumped up to him and kissed him fondly on the cheek. "I want you to marry me!"

Bilbo spluttered loudly in his flask of ale. "Lyda! I'm your uncle!"

Thorin chuckled behind her, a deep rumbling chuckle. "I think she means she wants you to marry us. I would like to marry your niece!"

Bilbo stared at the dwarf, recognising him from many drawings Lyda had strewn around her house.

"You're…You're that man which broke her heart!" He said angrily, getting to his feet, looking like he was about to try and hit Thorin.

"Bilbo please! Not now!" Lyda interrupted him. She ran up to the fireplace and grabbed the flowers from the vase which sat there. "See! I have the flowers, I have the ring" She held up her hand, a large but beautiful ring on her finger which clearly needed more than a little adjusting. "Now please marry us or I'll ask Old Man Took to do it!"

Spluttering his protest Bilbo stood up and cleared his throat. "Well this is most irregular but I see you've made up your mind!"

"We have!" Lyda and Thorin said in unison.

"Well then, do you Lyda Baggins, take" He paused as he realised that he did not know the dwarf's name.

"Thorin Oakensheild" Thorin informed him.

"Yes, that, do you Lyda take Thorin Oakensheild as your husband?"

Lyda smiled, her eyes nearly brimming with tears. Thorin reached for her face and gently wiped them away. "I do!" She smiled,

"And do, Thorin Oakensheild, in front of these witnesses, take Lyda Baggins as your wife?"

"I will"

Bilbo cleared his throat again for effect. "Well then, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife!"

* * *

><p><strong>1 year later<strong>

* * *

><p>Lyda rolled over in the sheets and pulled them closer around her shoulders, Thorin's bare chest agains her equally bare chest. The sunlight from the window at the head of their bed streamed through, the dawn light a weak but enough for Lyda to see Thorin's face.<p>

A lot had changed in the space of a year, for both of them. Tauriel had left the shire not not after Thorin's arrival to take the news of their marriage to Erebor. To their surprise she had not returned, instead, six months later they received a letter with the royal seal of Erebor informing them that the Lady Tauriel of Mirkwood was engaged to be married to king Fili of Erebor. Several letters followed over the following months, Lyda overjoyed to hear that Tauriel's broken heart had finally recovered and overjoyed to hear than she was carrying a child that Fili and herself had already named Kili the second. "If it is a girl"- Tauriel had informed her "Then we will name her Kila Lyda after Kili and my good friend Lyda Baggins".

The letters had been stored away in a small box by the fireplace where they were often read again in the evenings by herself and Thorin.

"Are you awake?" Lyda whispered, resting her chin on Thorin's arm. Thorin smiled, his eyes still closed.

"I _was_!"

"What? Aren't you any more?" Lyda asked, a cheeky smile spread up the side of her face.

Thorin opened his eyes and looked at her, his hand stroked the side of her face fondly. "No, not now you're awake".

"Well then!" Lyda sat up and pushed Thorin onto his back so that she rest her head on his chest. Her eyes closed she smiled, the sound of his heartbeat under her ear.

"You still like doing that don't you!" He laughed and pulled her face towards him so that he could kiss her.

"Of course I do! It's my favourite sound in the world!"

"I think you know what mine is!" Thorin grinned cheekily. Lyda slapped him fondly and kissed him again. He wrapped his arms around her and ran his fingers through her now long hair, his calloused fingertips ran down her bare back and settled on her waist.

"I hope Bilbo doesn't decide to walk in unannounced again!" Lyda chuckled. Thorin laughed loudly.

"Well, after last time I don't think he'll be doing that again!"

"Poor Bilbo!" Lyda chuckled. She looked at Thorin, a nervous smile on her face, Thorin's eyes on her hands as he kissed it. "It will be a little strange for him when I tell him he might have to baby sit for us in the future!"

Thorin smiled absentmindedly, at first not realising what exactly Lyda had implied. She sat up in the bed, the sheets fell from her shoulders, and looked him dead in the eye till he realised. Thorin's jaw dropped and he sat up next to her, one had against her lower back and the other pressed gently against her stomach. Able to feel a tiny little bulge inside her.

"Are you?" An enormous smile spread across his face.

Lyda nodded. "Thorin Oakensheild, I do believe you're going to be a father!"


End file.
